Rio de Janeiro: Usain Bolt - the fastest man in the world and the biggest star of the Olympic Games - left his supporters disappointed when he missed the opening ceremony of the Rio Games, claiming that he was feeling too lazy to make the journey to the Maracana Stadium.
Bolt, who carried Jamaica's flag at the London 2012 Olympics, announced on his Snapchat account shortly before the ceremony that he would be missing the Athletes' Parade. "Opening Ceremony time but I won't be there people, all the busses are out," he said in a short message.
He later added: "Looks like the whole squad is out, road movements. One big lazy par me den pon today, no movement for me."
Despite claiming that his absence was simply because he was feeling too lazy to move, some have speculated that Bolt may have declined his place at the Athletes' Parade because of how frequently he is mobbed by his fellow Olympians.
Australian beach volleyball star Mariafe Artacho Del Solar is just one Olympian to have this week spoken about the intense fan frenzy that follows Bolt wherever he goes - even in the Olympic village.
"He was getting bombarded when we saw him this week," Del Solar said. "I felt like a rookie. The whole team all felt like nothing. But luckily we snuck in a selfie before he bolted."
Meanwhile Alexandra Raisman, the American gymnast and a two-time Olympic champion, told journalists that she nearly 'flipped the table' to get to Bolt when she saw him ahead of the opening ceremony.
Another possible reason for Bolt eschewing the ceremony was his recent hamstring injury, which the 29-year old is still recovering from.
Bolt's fellow sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led the Jamaican team into the stadium, with the 29-year old aiming to improve on her London 2012 medal haul of two silvers and one gold.
Meanwhile, US sprinter Justin Gatlin said he was "hungry" for success.
Gatlin has twice served doping bans in his career, meaning a 100m or 200m win against the popular Bolt would be polarising - especially after Russia's athletics team was suspended over a drugs scandal.
Gatlin, 34, has set the two fastest times this year and he is a real threat to two-time defending champion Bolt, whose build-up has been troubled by a hamstring injury.
He said he was taking a simple approach to what will be his third Olympics, after he won the 100m in 2004, missed 2008 with a drugs ban and returned to take bronze in 2012.
"I'm just going to go out and do what I need to do," he told reporters at the US track and field team's training base near Copacabana.
"This Olympics is going to be special. I know everyone's going to bring their A-game so I've got to make sure I'm ready."
Asked how he was feeling, Gatlin said: "This is my third Olympics so I'm bringing the fun, care-free Justin Gatlin from 2004 and the honoured-to-be-here Justin Gatlin from 2012, kind of mixed together," he said.
