Would winning a 2016 Olympic medal for a sprint without competing against Usain Bolt be a true win?  Not according to American sprinter, Mike Rodgers.  It’s commendable that Rodgers’ prefers to win a well-matched race.  Rodgers is hoping the world’s most famous sprinter will recover from his early July injury.

This injury forced Bolt to seek a medical exemption from the remaining qualifying trial runs.  Bolt is seeking recovery support from Dr. Hans-Wilhem Muller-Wohlfahrt.

American Sprinter Wants Usain Bolt at Rio

The world-record holder in the 100 (9.58 seconds) and 200 (19.19) meters qualified for the events due to the medical exemptions that the Jamaican team allows in the qualifying process despite not competing in the trials. This same leniency is not possible for an American track and field athlete; the top-three finishers in the United States trials qualify to represent the country at the Olympics, with the fourth-place finisher serving as a potential replacement.

 

Bolt will still need to prove his health at the July 22 London Anniversary Games to fully secure his presence in Rio this summer, but the sprinter previously said he would make it back to full strength so he could represent Jamaica.

 

In the potential absence of Bolt at the Olympics, some of the American runners felt as if any medals won without the presence of the world’s most famous sprinter would be tainted.

 

“I want him to be there at full strength. I want everybody to be healthy,” said American sprinter Mike Rodgers. “I want it to be the best race in history.”
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Here’s assurance Mike Rodgers will have the sprint competition he’s looking for at the 2016 Olympic Games, a tweet from Usain Bolt.