Usain Bolt dealt with a health problem he couldn’t fix during his sprinting career – “It always bothered me.”
Even though Usain Bolt broke plenty of sprinting world records, he had to deal with a medical condition that couldn’t be cured during his amazing career.
Bolt, now 39, holds the 100m and 200m world records with times of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist also holds the 4x100m relay record with his Jamaican teammates Yohan Blake, Michael Frater, and Nesta Carter. They ran it in 36.84 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics.
Usain Bolt is definitely one of the greatest athletes ever, but not many people know that he lived with an incurable medical condition while competing.
Bolt was born with scoliosis, which means his spine twists and curves to one side.
According to the NHS, signs of scoliosis include a curved spine, leaning to one side, uneven shoulders, one shoulder or hip sticking out, ribs showing more on one side, and clothes that don’t fit well.
People with scoliosis might have back pain, but most can live normal lives and even do sports — something Bolt took to a whole new level.
In a 2011 interview with ESPN, Bolt said, “When I was younger, it wasn’t really a problem. But as I grew, it got worse. My spine’s really curved badly [he makes an ‘S’ shape with his finger].
“But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t bother me much. So I don’t have to worry as long as I work hard. Early in my career, when we didn’t know much about it, it was tough because I got injured a lot.”
In a 2024 chat on the High Performance Podcast, he added, “I have scoliosis, so it was something that bothered me throughout my career. But I managed it well. It was tough, but I had the right team, stayed dedicated, and everything fell into place.”
A 2017 New York Times article even suggested that his condition might have helped his performance on the track, even though it made his right leg half an inch shorter than the left.
Other famous people with scoliosis include former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss, Olympic powerlifter Lamar Gant, and ex-Romanian gymnast Alexandra Marinescu.