Usain Bolt hints at coming out of retirement to play cricket at LA 2028 Olympics

Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt has signalled his interest in making a sensational return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, this time not on the track but on the cricket field.

Cricket is set to return to the Olympics after a 128-year absence, featuring at the LA28 Games scheduled from July 12 to 29, 2028. As anticipation builds around the sport’s comeback, Bolt has revealed he would be keen to represent Jamaica with bat and ball if given the opportunity.

Raised in the cricket-loving Caribbean, Bolt was initially an aspiring fast bowler before switching to athletics during his school years on the advice of a cricket coach — a decision that ultimately reshaped sporting history. Despite his dominance in sprinting, Bolt has never hidden his affection for cricket, often describing it as his first sporting love.

Speaking to Esquire magazine, the 37-year-old joked that he would be ready if Jamaican cricket officials came calling.

“I am happily retired from professional sport. I haven’t played cricket in a long time, but if they call, I will be ready! [Laughs],” Bolt said.

Widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, Bolt boasts an unmatched record of eight Olympic gold medals and 11 World Championship titles. He retired from athletics in 2017 after completing an unprecedented treble of 100m and 200m Olympic titles at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016. His world records of 9.58 seconds (100m) and 19.19 seconds (200m), set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remain intact more than a decade later.

Bolt’s association with cricket has extended beyond fandom. He was named brand ambassador for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, hosted by the USA and West Indies, and previously featured in a friendly exhibition match in India in 2014 alongside Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

At LA28, six teams each will compete in the men’s and women’s cricket tournaments. With 90 athlete quotas per event, squads can include up to 15 players. The women’s medal match is scheduled for July 20, while the men’s final will be held on July 29.

Cricket last appeared at the Olympics in Paris 1900, where Great Britain won gold in a one-off match against France — a brief but historic chapter the sport will now look to extend in Los Angeles.