Usain Bolt spearheaded Jamaica’s most successful history in the sprints in track and field.
Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has issued a strong critique of the current generation of Jamaican sprinters, suggesting they lack the commitment and hunger for success that defined his era.
Speaking on the Jamaican podcast channel The Fix, Bolt expressed his disappointment with the attitude and work ethic of today’s athletes compared to his own generation, which included greats like Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Kerron Stewart.
“They are not built like us,” Bolt remarked comparing his generation to the current one.
“I don’t want to say the wrong thing, but the athletes now, they are not committed like how we were committed. I don’t understand when watching them because, for me, I always wanted to win, and I would figure out how to win.”
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Bolt, who dominated sprinting for over a decade, highlighted how his generation transformed Jamaican athletics into a global powerhouse.
According to the world’s fastest man ever, the rise of sponsorships and financial incentives has led to a decline in performance, with some young athletes losing their drive after securing lucrative contracts.
“When I started track and field, something changed because before, we just had the talent,” Bolt explained.
“With me, Asafa, Veronica, Kerron, and others, we built the brand Jamaica to a level where now every sponsor is looking,” noted Bolt.
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“A lot of the athletes now get paid properly for their contracts compared to the peanuts we got. But when they get this money, a lot of them feel like, ‘Oh cool, I’m good,’ and all of a sudden, they are not doing well.”
Bolt also pointed out a concerning trend where many young athletes perform exceptionally well in high school but struggle once they transition to professional competition.
He contrasted this with his own relentless ambition, emphasizing that he always used financial success as motivation to achieve more.
“I used to get money and think, ‘I want more,’” he said, reinforcing his belief that true champions must maintain an insatiable drive to improve.
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Bolt’s dedication to excellence earned him eight Olympic gold medals across three successive Games in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
In addition to multiple world titles, he still holds the world records in both the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19 seconds), set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships.
While Bolt’s comments may spark debate, they underscore his passion for maintaining Jamaica’s sprinting legacy now being carried on by the likes Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville, Shericka Jackson to name a few.
Whether today’s sprinters take his words as criticism or motivation remains to be seen, but there is no denying the high standard set by the fastest man in history.
