NEW YORK – U.S. sprinter Wallace Spearmon had been reluctant to discuss details of partying with longtime friend Usain Bolt.
But now that Bolt is retired, Spearmon was asked whether he could reveal any new Bolt stories.
“Oh man, you’re going to get me in trouble,” Spearmon said, laughing, at the USATF Black Tie and Sneakers Gala.
Spearmon had Bolt’s number a decade ago. He went into the 2008 Olympics with a 9-5 head-to-head edge over the Jamaican, according to Tilastopaja.org. (Bolt went on to win their last 10 head-to-heads.)
In Beijing, Spearmon shared that he partied with a group of Jamaican sprinters including Bolt, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell the night after Bolt won the 200m in world-record time.
Spearmon had finished his Olympics after being disqualified for a lane violation in the 200m final (where he crossed the line third), while Bolt still had the 4x100m relay.
Spearmon does not remember how late they partied, but it was well past 2 a.m. Bolt, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday, ate at least 20 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.
The next day, Bolt, along with Nesta Carter, Frater and Powell, broke the 4x100m world record.
“I was confused as to how he actually did that,” Spearmon said, although the Jamaicans were stripped of the gold medal in January due to Carter’s doping.
Spearmon, who calls Bolt by his nickname “Ugo,” has long admired his friend’s ability to party at Carnival at a time of the year when most other sprinters are locked in at training camps.
“Do you know when Carnival is?” Spearmon asked, referring to the festival that begins the Friday before Ash Wednesday, typically in late February or early March. “Go look up when it is and then when the season starts, and you will see how good he really is. He could party and be super intoxicated, and then win a medal and break a world record.”
Bolt retired after the world championships in August, tearing his left hamstring in his relay finale. He asked Spearmon to stay for a couple of extra days in London, where they bowled.
“Little did he know that I’m from the country, and I do that once a week at least,” said Spearmon, an Arkansas resident who described Bolt as an “average” bowler. “I kicked their butts pretty bad. They told me I’m no longer welcome back to their bowling game.”
Bolt invited Spearmon to go to Australia this month, while Spearmon plans on bringing Bolt to Arkansas in January.
Spearmon is excited to show Bolt his alma mater, the University of Arkansas, as well as “cows, four-wheelers and dirt bikes.”
So how does a retired Bolt compare to a competitive Bolt as a partier?
“It’s not even a comparison,” Spearmon said. “Retired Bolt is out of control.”
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