Usain Bolt’s gadget life
The fastest man in the world talks tech, training, cars and an addiction to Temple Run...
Being the fastest sprinter on the planet also means having the best kit – and a few luxuries along the way. The Human Cheetah reveals all.
The gadget
“I just got an iPhone 4S and I use my iPod Touch a lot. I don’t have any fitness apps; I just play Temple Run and Angry Birds. It’s hard to pick a song for victory but it’s definitely reggae music. If I had to choose one, it would be T-Pain – the one that goes ‘All I’m gonna do is win win win win’ [All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled ft. T-Pain].”
The shoes
“My spikes (Puma Bolt EvoSpeed spikes – normally £120, though Bolt’s are custom-made from molds of his feet) are lighter and the plate’s harder than it was five years ago. Because I’m taller and weigh more than average they have to make them sturdy, but also flexible so they can still cushion my feet. I’d be a lot slower barefoot!”
The car
“Running fast is more of a rush than driving fast. So far I think I run better than I drive; I’ve crashed a couple of times. I’ve got a BMW M3 but my dream car is a silver Shelby Mustang – the one they stole last in Gone In 60 Seconds. I wouldn’t want to pimp it out too much – the engine should be fast but the rest of it will be simple.”
The diet
“To stay in shape I do back exercises and work on my abs – stretches are always important. Diet support and that kind of stuff isn’t so important for me. I have changed what I eat a little bit over the years; I’ve mainly tried to get more vegetables and protein in there. And not as many chicken nuggets – but still a few!”
The tech
“To monitor my training we use Dartfish technology. I don’t know much about it, but it pretty much just slows everything down so you can work on your technique – I just run! It’s really improved my starts. My coach sits and analyses all my movements: where my foot should be and what angle I should be at.”
Dartfish
£2000
Dartfish is video analysis software for every sport from sprinting to tenpin bowling. It provides frame-by-frame breakdowns of an athlete’s movement, and the iOS or Android app lets coaches make instant performance notes from the sidelines. Used right, it can mean the difference between taking gold and taking a thrashing.
Follow Usain on Twitter @usainbolt
[Image: Levon Biss]
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