KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Olympic champion sprinter Usain
Bolt of Jamaica has dropped out of a track meet this weekend after
suffering minor injuries in a car crash on the outskirts of his
Caribbean homeland's capital, his agent said on Thursday.
Bolt, who won the men's 100- and 200-meter races in
world record times at the Beijing Olympic Games in August, was taken
to a hospital after he crashed his BMW sports car into a ditch on Wednesday. A police officer said it appeared that Bolt had been speeding.
An unidentified female passenger also escaped serious injury, police said.
Bolt, 22, was treated and has been released from the hospital. Doctors have advised him to rest for a few days.
"We are pleased to report that Usain Bolt is fine after his
car accident in Kingston yesterday afternoon," agent Ricky
Simms said in a written statement.
Bolt hurt his left foot when he stepped on some thorns
getting out of the car and will not run in the Jamaica
International Invitational on Saturday as a "precaution," Simms
said.
"We will continue to monitor his progress over the next few
days," he said.
Simms said it was too early to say if the accident would
have any impact on Bolt's training or racing in the coming
weeks.
Bolt's next scheduled competition is a 150-meter street race May 17 in Manchester, England.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.