Throughout his glittering career, Usain Bolt established himself as the fastest man on the planet. Now, the former sprinter is trying to claim the title of fastest man in the outer space too.
The Jamaican raced astronauts in zero-gravity conditions on board an Airbus Zero-G aircraft above France on Wednesday, as a part of a commercial sponsorship promoted by Champagne producer Mumm.
The company, one of the largest in the sector, presented the astronauts with a bottle of champagne that will allow them to taste the famous bubbles in space.
Bolt shared a drink with French astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy and designer Octave de Gaulle before taking them on in a race. Unsurprisingly, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist secured a comfortable win, although the race was close at the start.
"A kid in a candy store, that's how I felt," Bolt told reporters after the race. "For me, it was just fun.
"It's running in a different type of atmosphere, it means that you are like on the Moon. It's no worries, do you know what I mean?
"It's so different. At first, when you get into that mode, your mind is blowing, so for me it was outstanding."
Despite retiring from track and field in 2017, Bolt has never strayed too far from the headlines. Last month, the 11-time world championship gold medallist joined Australian soccer team Central Coast Mariners on trial.
Bolt, who has previously trained with Strømsgodset in Norway, Mamelodi Sundowns FC in South Africa and Borussia Dortmund in Germany, made his debut on August 31 as the Mariners took on an amateur side.
While doubts over how feasible the transition from the track to the soccer field is going to be are hard to dispel, Bolt found a high-profile supporter in the shape of former Spain and Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque.
The Spaniard, who won two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid and led Spain to their maiden World Cup title in 2010 and triumph at Euro 2012, believes Bolt would make a good full-back.
"With space, he could be a very good footballer," Del Bosque told the Olympic Channel. "For a team that counter-attacks hard and transitions quickly into open space, sure he could fit in.
"He could be a full-back that covers a lot of space, but it depends because it's not just about covering 100, or 60 or 70 meters of the pitch.
"It's about doing that many times and that requires stamina which I do not know if he has although I'm sure he has prepared. Without a doubt as a full-back with his back towards the crowd and near the touchline, that is probably where he would be most useful."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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