Usain Bolt: 'I try to stay away as much as possible' from social media
As athletes grapple with the pros and cons of using social media, Usain Bolt says he has the utmost sympathy for them as he recalled the way he was treated as a young athlete.
The eight-time Olympic champion -- widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all-time -- was speaking to CNN's Becky Anderson at Expo 2020 in Dubai this week, where the Jamaican took part in a charity race for athletes with special needs.
"When I was younger, it was rough for me because I lived to put my country on the map," Bolt said.
"I was doing well but the transition to professional, it kind of broke up because I started getting injured ... then online and people would see you and say, 'Oh, you're not going to make it anymore. You're done. That's it.'
"I just stay away from social media -- I stay away from all the articles. You'll hear stuff here and there, but I try to stay away as much as possible."
Having announced his retirement from elite sprinting in 2017, Bolt admitted he misses the thrill of competition but still closely follows athletics.
He will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who stunned the world by winning gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics men's 100m event -- pipping Bolt's winning time at Rio 2016 by 0.01 seconds in the first men's 100m final since the Jamaican retired.
"For me, it was a surprise," Bolt said.
"Because I'd seen all the US athletes and everybody else, I was like, 'maybe the US athletes will win', but he showed up and he proved himself to be one of the best, and that's what it's all about.
"When you get onto the big stage, you have to prove yourself that the hard work that you put in and the focus that you have on the game. So my hat's off to him."
博尔特：“我尽量远离社交媒体”
当运动员们在努力解决使用社交媒体的利弊时，尤塞恩·博尔特说，当他回忆起自己作为一名年轻运动员被对待的方式时，他对他们深表同情。
这位八届奥运会冠军——被广泛认为是有史以来最伟大的短跑运动员——本周在迪拜 2020 年世博会上与美国有线电视新闻网的贝基安德森交谈，牙买加参加了一场为有特殊需要的运动员举办的慈善比赛。
“当我年轻的时候，这对我来说很艰难，因为我活着就是为了让我的国家在地图上，”博尔特说。
“我做得很好，但向职业的过渡，因为我开始受伤，有点破裂......然后在网上，人们会看到你说，'哦，你不会再成功了。你是完成。就是这样。
“我只是远离社交媒体——我远离所有的文章。你会在这里和那里听到一些东西，但我尽量远离。”
博尔特在 2017 年宣布退出精英短跑比赛后，承认他怀念比赛的快感，但仍然密切关注田径运动。
毫无疑问，他将密切关注意大利的拉蒙特·马塞尔·雅各布斯，后者在 2020 年东京奥运会男子 100 米项目中获得金牌，震惊了世界——在自牙买加之后的首场男子 100 米决赛中，博尔特在 2016 年里约奥运会上的获胜时间领先 0.01 秒退休了。
“对我来说，这是一个惊喜，”博尔特说。
“因为我见过所有美国运动员和其他所有人，我想，'也许美国运动员会赢'，但他出现了，他证明了自己是最好的球员之一，这就是全部。
“当你登上大舞台时，你必须证明自己付出的努力和对比赛的专注。所以我向他致敬。”
