Usain Bolt's Beijing win photo goes viral once again after 'social distancing' message

Sprint star has been encouraging Jamaicans to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic

File photo of Jamaica's Usain Bolt crossing the finish line to win the men's 100m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Bolt used this video on social media to spread the message of social distanciShow more

Retired sprint star Usain Bolt used the famous photograph of his 100m win at the Beijing Olympics to spread the message of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolt used the picture, taken by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri, with the cheeky caption 'social distancing'. The post went viral on Twitter, drawing more than half a million likes and nearly 100,000 retweets.

It showed the Jamaican crossing the finish line at the Bird's Nest stadium in a then-world record time of 9.69sec, glancing round from lane four as his competitors trailed two paces behind.

Bolt's celebration in Beijing added to a legend that grew further when he won the 200m in another world-record time. He retired in 2017 with eight Olympic gold medals and the current 100m mark of 9.58sec, set in 2009.

Bolt, 33, has been encouraging Jamaicans to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic, posting videos of himself exercising at home and juggling footballs with a friend. He also helped promote a major fundraiser, Telethon Jamaica.