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TRAVELLER
23
DISCOVERIES
UsainBolt
Jamaican
sprinter Usain
Bolt holds
world records
for 100mand
200m, and the
4 x 100m relay
AS TOLD TO MARK BAILEY. PHOTO VISA/ BEN DUFFY
LIFE DOESN’T NEED TO BE SO FAST
all the time. My favourite game is
dominoes. You need to really think about the game. I haven’t played with
my coach, Glen Mills, for a while though, because he is too good. The old
guys are amazing at dominoes – it’s all about experience and composure.
I PREFER THE COUNTRYSIDE
to cities. I grew up in the countryside in
Jamaica, so I like to see trees, grass, blue sky and things like that. Cities
are good for parties, but they stress me out.
I NEVER GET TO SEE LANDMARKS
when I travel to races, because I
always have a strict schedule. I visit millions of cities, but never see them.
When I do go on a proper holiday, it is always to somewhere hot.
JAMAICAN PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE FUN.
We joke around and don’t take
life too seriously, which I think is a good way to be.
I COMPETE A LOT IN EUROPE
and I enjoy the nightlife. I get a lot of
invitations to DJ, and if I’m in the mood, I’ll give it a go. I’ve done sets in
Paris, Berlin and Oslo. Usain rocked the house, trust me.
AFTER THE 2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
in Germany, I was given a
massive piece of the Berlin Wall. That was a wonderful souvenir.
A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOWME IN ASIA
and I get mobbed. I get people
from all around the world Facebooking and Tweeting me, asking me to
come to their country and inviting me to parties. It’s weird.
I LIKE EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES.
Sometimes in interviews
with Chinese and Japanese journalists, they give me games and stuff.
I TOLD RICHARD BRANSON
that I need to go to space on his Galactic
flight. I need a seat on that plane! He hasn’t said yes yet, but I’m hoping
when his island [Necker Island] is redone, maybe he will invite me there.
Usain Bolt is the Visa Europe Innovation Ambassador. Bolt is currently
starring in Visa Europe’s new Flow Faster ad campaign, showcasing
contactless and mobile payments. Visit
visa.co.uk/goldenspace
As the fastest man in the world heads for the London
Games, we caught upwith him to talk... dominoes?
PLANE TALKING