“I’m ready, just for the fun of it. I’m ready, let’s go. It’ll be fun.” When Usain Bolt tossed these words out on the Ready Set Go podcast, fans worldwide nearly lost their minds. The Lightning Bolt, retired for eight solid years, casually hinting at a comeback? Seriously?

Honestly, it sounded too good to be true. But Bolt quickly pulled back, when the idea of racing Justin Gatlin came up, he laughed: “Nah man, Justin? He’s in too good of a shape!” He even admitted texting Gatlin, asking, “Bro, why are you in such good shape?” Well! Fast forward to April 18, it seems like Usain Bolt was not having a joke! So…

He was back on the track, and his latest appearance on the track had fans talking, and not for the reasons you’d expect. One thing, in particular, caught everyone’s eye. Honestly, no one expected that kind of comeback clip. Jamaican sprinter and Paris Olympics 100m finalist Oblique Seville dropped a video on his Instagram story, and there he was seen doing block starts alongside none other than Usain Bolt. Yep, the legend himself. Bolt, in a white tee, white shorts, and barefoot, crouched into the blocks next to Seville.

But this wasn’t some serious sprint duel. While Seville and another athlete were focused and sharp, Bolt was clearly just having fun. He barely pushed off and failed to match them off the blocks and jogged forward with a cheeky smile, eyes on the camera, not the finish line. And honestly? His fitness wasn’t like what we’re used to from him. Well, he didn’t quite look like the Usain Bolt we remember—the chiseled, unbeatable showman, who has eight Olympic titles, eleven World championship golds.

And fans? Well, they didn’t feel right about it. For someone with 11 World Championship golds, watching Bolt jog sluggishly raised eyebrows from fans and followers.

Fans criticised Usain Bolt for his form

Seeing Usain Bolt on the track again should’ve been a moment of pure nostalgia—after all, we’re talking about the fastest man in history. A man who gave us 9.58 seconds of magic in the 100m and an unforgettable 19.19 in the 200m. So, when a clip of Bolt doing a block start with Oblique Seville surfaced on April 18, fans were both excited and curious. But honestly? Reactions were mixed, and initial excitement quickly gave way to a more sobering reality. Dressed casually, Bolt didn’t look like the sculpted machine we all remembered.

Bolt didn’t Bolt. He jogged off the blocks, smiling, barely pushing, looking nothing like the lightning-fast athlete who once owned the world stage. Fans didn’t hold back. “Uncle don’t have it anymore,” one user commented bluntly. Some pointed out how drastically athletes change post-retirement, and how even icons like Bolt aren’t immune to time. They added, “The way athletes let go after they retire….” This sentiment wasn’t uncommon, and it tapped into a wider fan dilemma.

Bolt’s post-retirement years have been filled with fun appearances and business ventures, but his recent on-track cameo revealed something else. For some, the comment reflected a mourning of discipline lost, the shedding of sharpness that once defined a champion. One comment summed up the mood: “Lowkey sad though. I hope he starts taking care of his health. You would think that would be standard for one of the best athletes in human history.”

Still, there was a collective sense of relief, even. “Thank goodness he retired at his peak”. Sometimes, it’s not just about the athlete. That video, just a few seconds long, became a portal. It must have taken fans back to Beijing 2008, to London 2012, to Rio 2016. To moments when Bolt ruled the world and made us feel like we were watching something supernatural. Now, in 2025, that magic felt far away.  One fan added, “wow, where tf time going??!”

The comments probably didn’t come from judgment, but came from reflection.