'People were running close to me in my head' - Usain Bolt reveals weird reason that led to a false start at the 2011 World championships

'People were running close to me in my head' - Usain Bolt reveals weird reason that led to a false start at the 2011 World championships

Evans Ousuru 07:30 - 20.11.2024

The legendary Jamaican sprinter saw his season go from bad to worse after being disqualified in the 100m, an occurrence that remains vivid in his mind

Three-time Olympic 100m gold medalist Usain Bolt has opened up on the emotional discomfort that he experienced prior to his disqualification at the 2011 World Championships.

The legendary Jamaican who is also a three-time Olympic 200m champion, lined up for the 100m final in Daegu, South Korea, only to see his dream snatched away in a split second.

A star-studded line-up of Bolt, Yohan Blake, Walter Dix and Kim Collins prepared for battle but things took a monumental turn when Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

Reflecting on the disappointment of that night, Bolt revealed that he was struggling throughout the season with hamstring issues which led to mental instability. "I was all in my head like, am I ready? Am I ready? Because I wasn't the same person,” Bolt told the Obi One Podcast.

“If you watch my season I was struggling. People were running close to me in my head, I was in my head so when I got to the start even though my coach was like 'you're fine, relax,' I could not get out of my head."

The 11-time World Champion pointed out that an air of self-doubt had also crept in that hampered his usual pre-race preparations. Regarded as the most successful male athlete of the World Championships, the sprinter also ripped his shirt off after an uncharacteristic blunder which left the world stunned.

"As soon as I got out I was like 'what the hell did I just do?’ It was just the fact that I was in my head worrying about if I was going to run fast, if I was ready, and that was a lesson," he added.

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