Usain Bolt Injured, Down for 2-3 Weeks

Perhaps the world's fastest human is, well...human after all.

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican World and Olympic sprint champion, released the following statement today:

" I developed a stiffness in my Achilles tendon last week and sought medical attention. After careful consultation with Dr. Hans Muller-Wohlfahrt at his clinic in Munich, I have been advised to take a 2-3 week break as a precautionary measure to avoid risking further damage."

"Regrettably, I will have to miss the IAAF Diamond League meeting in New York on Saturday, June 12..."

The Adidas Grand Prix, at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, will be the fifth stop in the Diamond League's 14-meet summer series.

The Jamaican flash had just completed a busy week, which included three races. Within eight days, he ran a 9.86 100m in Daegu, a 19.76 200m in Shanghai, and a 30.97 record attempt on Michael Johnson's 300m world mark (30.85) in Ostrava, Czechoslavakia.

American 100m record holder Tyson Gay and Bolt's countryman Asafa Powell have apparently recovered from 2009's nagging injuries. As Bolt's main rivals, they have both been posturing for a serious challenge to his supremacy in the sprints.

In Manchester, England, Gay recently broke Tommie Smith's 44-year-old 200 meter straight-track record in an impressive 19.41 time. Powell followed that feat with a world-leading 9.83 100m last week in Ostrava.

The three have not been lining up shoulder-to-shoulder, however, and the Track and Field world has been looking forward to the definitive truth-teller: head-to-head matchups.

In an off-year, with no World Championships or Olympics, the sport could certainly use a good old-fashioned sprint showdown or two.

Hopefully, Bolt caught the injury early enough to return to the track soon.

In a related matter, there have also been some unexpected vacancies in the sixth stop on the Diamond League circuit, Eugene's Prefontaine Classic, on July 3.

Perhaps Bolt might arrange an impromptu meeting there with Gay, who is already scheduled to run  in the 200m...