Jamaican Usain Bolt, who dominated sprinting for more than a decade and still holds multiple world records, has reached the finish line on his post track career run at becoming a professional soccer player.
Bolt on the ball“It was fun while it lasted,” Bolt was quoted as saying last month.
Following his retirement from track in 2017, Bolt went on trial with pro clubs, including some in Europe and Australia. He did not secure a permanent contract. However, despite expressing reservations about the way his trial stints panned out, Bolt called the quest “a good experience.
“I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was different from track and field,” he said.
Bolt trained with Borussia Dortmund in Germany, Stromsgodset in Norway and Central Coast Mariners in Australia. The 32-year-old said he declined an offer from Valletta of Malta.
Bolt won 100 and 200 meters gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games in Beijing, China London, England and Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He also dominated the sprints at several IAAF World Championships. Now he believes it’s time to move on.
“I’m just doing many different things.” Bolt explained, “... The sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses. I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I’m just dabbling in everything and trying to be a business man now.”
News agencies Reuters and ESPN.com contributed to this story.
