“So Much into Video Games”: Legendary Usain Bolt’s Love for Video Games Once Saw Him Derailing His Training Routines

Iconic track and field athlete Usain Bolt holds world records for the 100m and 200m, making him the fastest man on the planet. Each of his wins left a special impression in fans’ hearts. Following his retirement from the sport, Bolt continued to stay in the limelight as he pursued several other interests.

Notably, apart from music and football, the athlete has also been a big video game aficionado since childhood. In fact, he once revealed a story from his training years related to the same and shocked fans.

The thought of Bolt sitting in a chair and playing games is something new for fans. Nevertheless, anything is possible with Lightning Bolt, including almost skipping training. 

Usain Bolt in the gaming world

A lecture on sprinting can never be complete without mentioning Usain Bolt. His journey and story of success are what new track and field athletes look up to; winning eight gold medals at the Olympics is not child’s play after all. 

However, sports might not have been his first choice if the video game world was as developed as it is now. In the BBC Sounds podcast, Bolt talked about the same and revealed his love for video games. He was so passionate about it that he sometimes skipped training just to play games.

The star sprinter said, “I think I was so much into video games when I was younger because sometimes I would skip training to go to the video game store to play video games.”

“So, that was just one thing, so I know if we had what we have now, I would definitely be a gamer,” added Bolt. “For sure.”

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Gaming as an excellent distraction 

The interviewee further asked him if he would suggest other athletes play games in order to relax. With an affirmative reply, Bolt pointed out the reason why and how games help one to distract themselves from all the stress and pressure. 

“Yes, definitely,” the track and field champ said. “It takes your mind off everything because you’re so focused on trying to win and trying to do good in a game that you don’t worry about anything else.”

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The conversation helped fans get a different insight about the sprinter. His desire to be a gamer and do live streams is striking. Having retired from the sport years ago, do you think Bolt will pursue his gaming interest professionally?