"It wasn't enough" - Usain Bolt opens up about losing to Tyson Gay in the early races of his career

Usain Bolt recently opened up about a race against Tyson Gay in 2007, which he lost, despite training well. He shared that, as he was a dominant junior athlete, he was used to winning with ease.

Bolt had beaten experienced Jamaican sprinters like Chris Williams while still a teenager. However, when he transitioned to the professional track, he faced fierce competition. Runners like Wallace Spearmon and Tyson Gay consistently outperformed him, which left Bolt frustrated. He questioned his coach about why his efforts weren't translating into victories.

Coach Glen Mills made the Jamaican sprinter realize that talent alone wasn't enough to win at the highest level. Despite training hard, Bolt lacked the physical strength needed to compete with elite athletes. His aversion to the gym left him weaker than his rivals. Mills stressed that success depended on not just natural ability, but also efforts. Bolt finally understood that raw speed wasn't sufficient; he also needed endurance and power.

Reflecting on the memories, the 38-year-old during a podcast with Ready Set Go on 27th February 2025, said:

"I went to my coach, I was like, what's happening, and he goes listen, everybody, on this circuit has talent, you need to understand that. Who's going to work at their talent the most is going to be the best. You know what I mean, and that's when I started trying to do better and to work a little more, and I did enough but it wasn't enough." (12:26 onwards)

Usain Bolt dominated three consecutive Olympic games, winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events at 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio. However, his team's 4x100m relay gold from 2008 Beijing was later disqualified due to a teammates' anti-doping rule violation.

When Usain Bolt reflected on the wake-up call that changed his career

Usain Bolt at the 2024 Laureus World Sport Awards Madrid - Red Carpet - Source: Getty

During an interview with PUMA in January 2022, Usain Bolt said he was talented as a junior but naive when he moved to the senior level because he believed his natural ability alone would be enough to compete at the highest level. As a young athlete, he dominated junior competitions without much effort, which made him think success would come just as easily in the professional track.

However, when Bolt reached the senior level, he faced stronger, more experienced competitors who had trained relentlessly. Bolt talked about a wake-up call that came at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where he failed to advance past the first round. That moment forced him to reflect on his approach and understand that greatness required more than just skill. Reflecting on the wake-up call Bolt said:

“Going to (the 2004 Olympic Games in) Athens and not actually making it through the first round really helped me to say: ‘you know what, I need to look at myself and understand that if I want to be the best or if I want to win an Olympic gold medal, I need to be more dedicated, I need to work harder".

Usain Bolt retired after the 2017 World Championships, where he finished third in his final solo 100m race. He skipped the 200m event, as he suffered an injury during the 4x100m relay final.