In an interview with ESPN the 100 meter Olympic champion explained that he has been dealing with scoliosis since he was young. The condition causes the spine to twist and curve to the side, and can cause severe back pain in both children and adults. Dealing with the condition, as well as aiming to be the best in his industry, Bolt had to figure out the best way to manage his condition so that it would not affect his career.
Speaking about his scoliosis in the interview Bolt revealed some of his secrets into how he has still managed to achieve so much.
He said: “When I was younger it wasn’t really a problem. But you grow and it gets worse. My spine’s really curved bad [makes “S” shape with finger]. But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t really bother me.
“So I don’t have to worry about it as long as I work hard. The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it, it really hampered me because I got injured every year.”
Revealing more about his condition within his autobiography, Bolt said that his condition has left him with physical side effects.
Specifically, his right leg is shorter than his left. Due to his right leg being half an inch shorter, his left leg remains on the ground 14 percent longer than his right when he is running at top speeds.
Despite speculation, there is no evidence to suggest that this has either helped or hindered Bolt with his career success.
Although there is no confirmation as to how much of an effect his condition has had on his professional sporting career, Bolt revealed on Twitter back in September of this year that the condition had never been rectified with spinal correction surgery.
from express.co.uk
