Wednesday, November 16, 2016
On Sunday, German football club Borussia Dortmund (BVB) announced Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt is to train with the club. 30-year-old Usain Bolt, a nine-time Olympics gold-medal winning sprinter, is a Manchester United F.C. supporter.
Known as “the fastest man on earth”, Bolt is sponsored by German sports company Puma who also sponsors Borussia Dortmund. According to Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden informed the club of Usain’s interest in practising with them.
In remarks to magazine Kicker, Watzke said this was “neither a joke nor a marketing measure”. He did say, “We wouldn’t organise it during a period where we have a midweek game, of course, but perhaps during a preparatory phase or something like that”. Watzke said BVB coach Thomas Tuchel is agreeable with the idea, but the club hasn’t suggested offering the Jamaican a contract.
Taking about a chance to play for his favoured club, Bolt said, “For me, if I could get to play for Manchester United, that would be like a dream come true. Yes, that would be epic.”
Bolt won three Olympics gold medals in this year’s Olympics edition in Rio de Janeiro. Bolt has indicated he means to retire from athletics after next year’s World Championships scheduled to be hosted in London in August.