Despite Injury, 6-Time Gold Medallist Bolt Races to the Olympics

Forced to withdraw from his country’s trials, Bolt was allowed to represent Jamaica in Rio with a medical exemption.

Usain Bolt was named to the 2016 Jamaican Olympic team in the 100 metre, 200 metre and 4x100 metre races. (Photo: AP)

Sprint king Usain Bolt was named to the Jamaican Olympic team in the 100 metre, 200 metre and 4x100 metre races, despite an injury that kept him from qualifying at trials, the Jamaican Olympic Association said on Monday.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist was forced to withdraw from his country’s trials earlier this month with a hamstring injury but was allowed on Jamaica’s team headed to the Rio Summer Games after applying for a medical exemption.

The inclusion of the world record holder in both the 100m and 200m on the Rio-bound Jamaican team came a day after Bolt posted a photograph from Germany of himself back in training.

Unlike in the United States, where the first three finishers in the trials win Olympic berths, Jamaica’s selection policy allows medical exemptions.

The Jamaican roster was submitted ahead of the 18 July deadline for preliminary entries but final changes to the track and field team can be made up to 10 August.

Since Bolt was granted a medical exemption that allows him to be added to the team, he still needs to prove his fitness by the next Diamond League meeting in London on 22 July, where he recently said he would run the 200m.

The full 63-member Jamaican contingent consists of 59 track and field athletes, including two-time defending Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two swimmers, one gymnast and one diver.

Others receiving medical exemptions are Olympic 110m hurdles bronze medallist Hansle Parchment, world 200m bronze medallist Elaine Thompson, and 400m hurdler Janeive Russell.