Sportswear giant Puma could offer Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt a job, according to the company’s chief executive.
Bolt, the world’s fastest man and brand ambassador for Puma, is due to run his last races at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London over the coming days.
The Jamaican sprinter is aiming to retire with a fourth 100m title, and a fifth 4x100m relay gold, taking his world haul to 13, to add to his eight Olympic golds.
In an interview with the Handelsblatt daily cited by Reuters on Thursday (3 August), Bjorn Gulden, chief executive officer of Puma, said Bolt could be offered a position with the company once he’s hung up his sprinter’s shoes.
“Usain Bolt could be even more important for us when he stops running. I can even imagine that he could run our business in the Caribbean.”
Puma has sponsored Bolt since he was 15 years-old, and Gulden has often said in the past that the company’s prodigious brand ambassador will be a valuable asset post-retirement.
At a media briefing, Bolt, who turns 31 later this month, said he was looking forward to a new chapter in his life.
“It’s going to be hard, as track and field has been everything for me since I was 10 and it’s been a rush – but we’ll see where life takes me.”
If confirmed, Bolt could follow others such as US basketball legend Michael Jordan who continues to work with his preferred sportswear brand Nike, and England and Manchester United football star David Beckham who partners with Adidas, post-retirement, to promote its sportswear and equipment. – IBTimes
