Usain Bolt claimed that he believes Fred Kerley is an athlete who has advanced from the 400m to dominate the 100m and will be fantastic.
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Usain Bolt has called for changes in athletics to revitalize a discipline that is, in his opinion, suffering from the lack of a superstar who can compete in other sports besides track and field. The charismatic Jamaican’s retirement in 2017 left a void in athletics that has yet to be filled. It was too large for any one person to fill. Male athletes who are currently making waves in the sport include Mondo Duplantis, Noah Lyles, Karsten Warholm, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Fred Kerley. While, the leading female athletes are Sydney McLaughlin, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Faith Kipyegon, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Athing Mu, and Femke Bol. They are all talented individuals of their generation. But outside of the track and field community, most people are unaware of them.
In an interview, Usain Bolt stated, “I believe the sport could just be lacking a superstar right now. When I left, for example, people were searching for the next individual who would seize the opportunity to shine and make a statement. The sport currently lacks that. The need for the sport to change how it is structured has probably been discussed for years. It needs to be considerably more thrilling.
Usain Bolt continued, “The issue with track and field. People don’t want to watch it because it’s not as exciting. It will therefore be challenging to draw the large crowds and the desired attention if you don’t have a superstar who stands out as I did.”
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Usain Bolt claimed that he believes Fred Kerley is an athlete who has advanced from the 400m to dominate the 100m and will be fantastic. Additionally, he mentioned Oblique (Seville), a youngster from Jamaica. He collaborates with Bolt’s trainer. He has a promising future, is in his prime, and is young. Athletes and the sport as a whole need to do a better job of telling stories, according to track legend Michael Johnson, who noted the “shrinking” number of true athletics fans.
With Sebastian Coe, the head of World Athletics, hoping Bolt would stick around to keep track and field in the spotlight. Bolt is still the most recognizable face of a sport he left six years ago. He regrets greatly not having done so, and since he has no plans to do so. It is up to others to find a way to return to the spotlight.
Although 200m world champion Lyles is one to have done that, he cannot bear the burden alone. Coe has long urged the post-Bolt generation to “recognize they are in the entertainment business.”. While it is clear that he is attracting fans by fusing flamboyance with talent and interests outside of the lane in which he competes. The sport needs more, and developing a marketing strategy for prized assets like British 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson could be the first step.
