Wallace Spearmon Recalls Hilarious Moment Usain Bolt Slapped Him During Race Prep

Usain Bolt is good friends with America's Wallace Spearmon

Wallace Spearmon Recalls Hilarious Moment Usain Bolt Slapped Him During Race Prep

Mark Kinyanjui 21:59 - 17.04.2025

Usain Bolt once smacked his good friend Wallace Spearmon in the face before a race, which left the American so angered he obliterated the Jamaican to clinch victory.

Former American sprinter Wallace Spearmon recently recounted how legendary Jamaican sprinter and his good friend Usain Bolt brutally smacked his face once before a meet in England.

Spearmon, a two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the 200m and once held the indoor American record for the 200 meters. offered insights into more interactions and competitions with Bolt on the Ready Set Go Podcast with Justin Gatlin, in what was a sequel of the original episode aired in 2024.

Spearmon has admitted the slapping angered him and motivated the 2005 200m silver medalist into obliterating him in the race.

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Spearmon, who boasts a personal best of 19.65 seconds in the 200m—making him the thirteenth fastest 200m runner ever—shared another of his humorous interactions with  Bolt' which he says he has never forgiven him for to date.

“One year, we flew to Sheffield—this was before Bolt went Super Saiyan on everybody. We used to go back and forth. I think his first time beating me was in Rieti, but don’t ask me why I know that,” Spearmon said.

“ It’s raining, it’s cold, and I’m like, ‘I don’t feel like running, but it is what it is.’ Then, for some reason, I get nervous. I rarely ever get nervous in races, but this time I did.”

The nerves proved costly.

“And what did my dumb butt do? I fell asleep. At the track. In the warm-up area. No alarms, no nothing—and I mean I was sleeping good. I don’t even know if I was twitching or snoring or what,” he admitted.

Then came the moment Spearmon says he has  never truly forgiven Bolt for.

“Out of nowhere, I swear to God—Bolt walks over while I’m asleep and slaps the yellow off my skin. BOW. He goes, ‘Wake up! You got 10 minutes before final call—we got a race.’”

Shocked and irritated, Spearmon reacted as many would after being rudely awakened.

“I was like, ‘You dirty mo—’ Number one, you just slapped the shadow outta me. Number two, why you wait till we had 10 minutes left? That’s messed up. I said, ‘I got something for you, man. I probably did. I’m striding.’

“Then I said, ‘Oh hell no—I’m pissed.’ I don’t like my face being touched. For whatever reason, that’s one of my triggers. ‘Oh hell no.’”

With emotions running high and a literal slap mark on his face, Spearmon, channeled his anger into performance.

“And listen—bro, I’m light-skinned too, so I had that whole red mark on my face where I woke up. Boy...

“During the race—this was 2007 to 2008—I dipped his ass through the line. We cross the line and he leans over and says: ‘I should’ve let your ass sleep through the race.’ But then we wouldn’t be friends. Still—I got your ass.”

Despite the revenge on the track, Spearmon still feels the sting of that slap years later.

“Yeah, he slapped the shadow outta me. He talked about getting his lick back—man, I never got my lick back for that one. Where you going? I owe one more for that. I owe one for that.

“That’s my dog, but oh—he slapped the s**t outta me.”

Bolt went on to win eight gold medals at the Olympic stage, and holds world records in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4 by 100 meters relay while competing for team Jamaica.

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