Usain Bolt To Miss Rest Of Year With Back Injury

On Friday, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt finished second to Tyson Gay in the 100-meter final in Sweden. It was a substantial upset for the consensus greatest sprinter of our era, given that he was two years removed from his previous loss, and on Tuesday, we learn that a back injury will keep Bolt out of competition for the remainder of 2010. From Reuters:

Triple Olympic champion Bolt was examined on Monday by a Munich doctor who found a problem with the Jamaican's lower back, which if not treated could cause injury to his hamstring or calf muscles.

"With a view to his future career we believe further treatment to loosen his back followed by a period of rest will be in his best interest," Bolt's agent Ricky Simms said in a statement.

Bolt's camp isn't explicitly claiming that the injury contributed to his loss in Stockholm, and while it likely played a factor, this appears to be more of a cautionary move to preserve the health of his legs.

The 23-year-old Bolt has evolved into the world's greatest sprinter in spite of a career checkered with injury. In 2004, leg injuries forced him to withdraw from the World Junior Championships and contributed to a disappointing finish in the Athens Olympics. Hamstring issues continued to haunt him in 2006, and in 2009, he was hurt in a minor car accident. Earlier this year, he won the Golden Spike 300-meter race despite an aching Achilles tendon.