Usain Bolt Going to Rio Despite Withdrawing From Olympic Trials

Usain Bolt was named to the Jamaican Olympic team today, despite not qualifying at Trials. He is expected to run the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in Rio.

Bolt withdrew from Jamaica’s Olympic Trials on July 1, citing an injured hamstring. In the United States, athletes are required to race at Trials and finish in the top three to qualify for the Olympics. But in Jamaica, injured athletes who are unable to compete at Trials can apply for a medical exemption, which Bolt was granted as expected.

The Jamaica Gleaner published the full roster for Jamaica’s Olympic team. It lists four sprinters in both the 100m and 200m, but Jamaican official will eventually have to pick a maximum of three athletes in each event. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will enter the 100m and 4x100m in Rio, but not the 200m. She was the 2012 Olympic silver medalist and the 2013 world champion in the 200m. The 2016 Olympic 200m podium will have new three faces, after 2012 Olympic champion Allyson Felix missed the U.S. team by .01 seconds, and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter scratched from U.S. Trials due to an injury. 

Asafa Powell, 33, will only run the 4x100m in Rio. He does not own any individual Olympic medals, despite being the fourth-fastest man of all time. In the 100m at the Olympics, he finished fifth in 2004 and 2008, and seventh in 2012. 

Copyright Rio2016
Contact Us