Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt has brought his abbreviated season to a close after racing just four times, organisers of the Diamond League final in Zurich announced on Sunday.
Just a day after Bolt set a new best time of 9.98sec for the rarely-run 100m indoors at Warsaw’s national football stadium, Zurich meet director Patrick Magyar said the decision not to take part in Thursday’s final and any more races after that had been taken by Bolt’s coach Glen Mills.
“After his 9.98 seconds performance in Warsaw last night Usain Bolt has decided to end his 2014 competition season and will not compete in the 100m in the IAAF Diamond League Final in Zurich,” organisers said in a statement.
Magyar added: “Usain’s body has delivered tremendous performances over the last years.
“But it is a body and not a machine. If an athlete of that level and his coach feel more rest is needed, we are certainly not going to question this and fully support this decision.”
The premature end to Bolt’s season means the 28-year-old Jamaican, a six-time Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in both the 100 and 200m, has competed just four times this season, the start to which was delayed because of a foot injury.
Bolt had only run his first 100m of the year in an exhibition race on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on August 17 in a time of 10.06sec before turning out in Warsaw on Saturday.
His last competitive individual appearance at the 100m came in Brussels last year while at last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow he was part of the victorious Jamaican 4x100m relay team, racing in the heats and final.
Bolt is set on competing in his final Olympics in Rio in 2016 before calling time on his career in 2017 after the world championships.