Bolt

Following his victory at Sunday's Bank World Athletics Final meet in Thessaloniki, Greece, an exhausted Usain Bolt told journalists: "I was running on fumes. That was the last race this year. ... It was the last energy I had."

Life in the fast lane is not easy - even when you are the fastest man in the world.

The 23-year-old Bolt, world-record holder for the 100 and 200 metres, arrived home yesterday.

During a press conference on Sunday, he said he was looking forward to returning to Jamaica and getting "lots of rest".

Dr Paul Wright, a Kingston-based physician who specialises in sports medicine, said Bolt's handlers should listen to the champion sprinter.

"If they don't step in, he won't last another 24 months," Wright warned.

"Any athlete doing what are called power events has certain energy needs and must be properly monitored."

One of the hottest names

Since his outstanding feats at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he set new world records for the 100 and 200 metres, the lanky Bolt has become one of the hottest names in sport.

In August, he broke his own records at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany, and followed up with impressive appearances at several high-profile meets.

In recent weeks, Bolt has taken steps to address his fatigue by missing meets in South Korea and China.

Wright says it is not only sprinting that has worn Bolt down. There is also his hectic schedule of sponsors' dates and travelling, almost daily, to meets by aeroplane.

"This is where the support staff needs to step in and say, 'no more', no matter how much the monetary rewards," Wright said.

Prior to the start of the Grand Prix season, there was talk among Bolt's handlers that mega-marketing could make Bolt as famous and as wealthy as football players David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

For his career to reach those lucrative heights, it would mean even more travelling for promotional dates.