Cristiano Ronaldo gives thumbs up with sprinter Francis Obikwelu. Courtesy Instagram / Francis Obikwelu
Cristiano Ronaldo gives thumbs up with sprinter Francis Obikwelu. Courtesy Instagram / Francis Obikwelu
Cristiano Ronaldo gives thumbs up with sprinter Francis Obikwelu. Courtesy Instagram / Francis Obikwelu
Cristiano Ronaldo gives thumbs up with sprinter Francis Obikwelu. Courtesy Instagram / Francis Obikwelu

Cristiano Ronaldo trains with Portuguese Olympic sprinter Francis Obikwelu ahead of new season


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

Regular watchers of Cristiano Ronaldo will have noted that he isn't quite as explosive across the turf as he once was.

But that's hardly surprising at 34 year old.

That's not to say he's a slouch; Ronaldo certainly keeps apace with players younger than him, and is showing no sign of letting up in his quest for perfection.

Having had a few weeks relaxing in some of Europe's finest locations, the Juventus striker has been working on his speed ahead of the new season - with some help from an expert.

Ronaldo posted a video to his Instagram account training with Nigeria-born Portuguese athlete Francis Obikwelu.

"It was a great experience to train with my friend @francisobikwelu on track," Ronaldo wrote in the caption. Obikwelu returned the compliment on his own page, writing: "It was a pleasure to train with my good friend @cristiano."

Obikwelu specialised in the 100m and 200m, and was a silver medalist at the 2004 Athens OlympicsGames.

He clocked 9.86 seconds in the Athens 100m final, which is still a European record, although it has been matched twice since by Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut. It was the first medal in an athletics sprinting event for Portugal.

He also won the 100m and 200m gold at the 2006 European Championships.

Ronaldo didn't make the top five fastest players list in the Champions League last season.

Leading up to the final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk was officially the fastest in the competition, having clocked 34.5kph against Barcelona.

He was closely followed by Manchester City's Leroy Sane (34.4kph), Nemanja Radonjic of Crvena Zvezda (34.2kph), Kyle Walker of Manchester City (34.2kph) and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale (33.8kph).

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Footballers on holiday:

  • Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in Phoenix, Arizona on June 26. Courtesy Paul Pogba / Instagram
    Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in Phoenix, Arizona on June 26. Courtesy Paul Pogba / Instagram
  • Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku peddles along by the beach in California. Courtesy Romelu Lukaku / Instagram
    Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku peddles along by the beach in California. Courtesy Romelu Lukaku / Instagram
  • Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed time aboard a yacht in the French Riviera. Courtesy Cristiano Ronaldo / Instagram
    Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed time aboard a yacht in the French Riviera. Courtesy Cristiano Ronaldo / Instagram
  • Juventus star Ronaldo also spent time in Greece before heading to France. Courtesy Cristiano Ronaldo / Instagram
    Juventus star Ronaldo also spent time in Greece before heading to France. Courtesy Cristiano Ronaldo / Instagram
  • Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta was in Abu Dhabi on June 25. Courtesy Cesar Azpilicueta / Instagram
    Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta was in Abu Dhabi on June 25. Courtesy Cesar Azpilicueta / Instagram
  • Manchester City's Raheem Sterling had snap taken with his mother in Florida in June. Courtesy Raheem Sterling / Instagram
    Manchester City's Raheem Sterling had snap taken with his mother in Florida in June. Courtesy Raheem Sterling / Instagram
  • Manchester City's Bernardo Silva is pictured in Sequoia National Park, California on June 25. His travels also took in Miami and New York. Courtesy Bernardo Silva / Instagram
    Manchester City's Bernardo Silva is pictured in Sequoia National Park, California on June 25. His travels also took in Miami and New York. Courtesy Bernardo Silva / Instagram
  • Ander Herrera, who left Manchester United at the end of the season, has some fun on the beach in Menorca. Courtesy Ander Herrera / Instagram
    Ander Herrera, who left Manchester United at the end of the season, has some fun on the beach in Menorca. Courtesy Ander Herrera / Instagram
  • Herrera's travels also took him to Medellin in Colombia Courtesy Ander Herrera / Instagram
    Herrera's travels also took him to Medellin in Colombia Courtesy Ander Herrera / Instagram
  • Tottenham's Dele Alli and Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho met up at Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles in June. Courtesy Dele Alli / Instagram
    Tottenham's Dele Alli and Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho met up at Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles in June. Courtesy Dele Alli / Instagram
  • Dortmund's Jadon Sancho relaxes in Beverly Hills, California on June 20. Courtesy Jadon Sancho / Instagram
    Dortmund's Jadon Sancho relaxes in Beverly Hills, California on June 20. Courtesy Jadon Sancho / Instagram
  • Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko went on safari in Tanzania in June. Courtesy Moussa Sissoko / Instagram
    Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko went on safari in Tanzania in June. Courtesy Moussa Sissoko / Instagram
  • Real Madrid's Karim Benzema headed to Hollywood in Los Angeles in June. Courtesy Karim Benzema / Instagram
    Real Madrid's Karim Benzema headed to Hollywood in Los Angeles in June. Courtesy Karim Benzema / Instagram
  • Arsenal's Shkodran Mustafi met restaurateur Salt Bae in Mykonos in June. Courtesy Shkodran Mustafi / Instagram
    Arsenal's Shkodran Mustafi met restaurateur Salt Bae in Mykonos in June. Courtesy Shkodran Mustafi / Instagram
  • jesse Lingard was in Miami with Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford. Courtesy Jesse Lingard / Instagram
    jesse Lingard was in Miami with Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford. Courtesy Jesse Lingard / Instagram
  • Mohamed Salah gets to grip with a fish on June 10, but it wasn't clear where he was located during a holiday on a luxury boat. Courtesy Mo Salah / Instagra
    Mohamed Salah gets to grip with a fish on June 10, but it wasn't clear where he was located during a holiday on a luxury boat. Courtesy Mo Salah / Instagra
  • Liverpool's Fabinho followed up winning the Champions League by visiting Washington with partner Rebeca Tavares. Courtesy Rebeca Tavares / Instagram
    Liverpool's Fabinho followed up winning the Champions League by visiting Washington with partner Rebeca Tavares. Courtesy Rebeca Tavares / Instagram
  • Manchester United's Anthony Martial was in Egypt on May 18 and visited the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo. Courtesy Anthony Martial / Instagra
    Manchester United's Anthony Martial was in Egypt on May 18 and visited the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo. Courtesy Anthony Martial / Instagra
  • Martial also visited the Great Sphinx of Giza. Courtesy Anthony Martial / Instagram
    Martial also visited the Great Sphinx of Giza. Courtesy Anthony Martial / Instagram
  • Vincent Kompany at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. Courtesy Vincent Kompany / Instagram
    Vincent Kompany at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. Courtesy Vincent Kompany / Instagram
  • Southampton's Ryan Bertrand in the UAE desert. Courtesy Ryan Bertrand / Instagram
    Southampton's Ryan Bertrand in the UAE desert. Courtesy Ryan Bertrand / Instagram
  • Chelsea's David Luiz was at the private zoo of Saif Belhasa in Dubai. Courtesy David Luiz / Instagram
    Chelsea's David Luiz was at the private zoo of Saif Belhasa in Dubai. Courtesy David Luiz / Instagram
  • Gerard Deulofeu enjoyed a strong season for Watford and started the summer with a wildlife trip. Courtesy Gerard Deulofeu / Instagram
    Gerard Deulofeu enjoyed a strong season for Watford and started the summer with a wildlife trip. Courtesy Gerard Deulofeu / Instagram
  • West Ham's Javier Hernandez was in Italy on May 18. Courtesy Javier Hernandez / Instagram
    West Ham's Javier Hernandez was in Italy on May 18. Courtesy Javier Hernandez / Instagram
  • Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi posted from his trip to Tokyo on May 17. Courtesy Michy Batshuayi / Instagram
    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi posted from his trip to Tokyo on May 17. Courtesy Michy Batshuayi / Instagram
  • Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku took in some baseball in New York during May. Courtesy Romelu Lukaku / Instagram
    Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku took in some baseball in New York during May. Courtesy Romelu Lukaku / Instagram
  • Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha jetted off to Thailand after the end of the Premier League season. Courtesy Wilfried Zaha / Instagram
    Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha jetted off to Thailand after the end of the Premier League season. Courtesy Wilfried Zaha / Instagram
  • Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil Van Dijk at Saif Belhasa's zoo in Dubai. Courtesy Saif Rubie / Twitter
    Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil Van Dijk at Saif Belhasa's zoo in Dubai. Courtesy Saif Rubie / Twitter
  • Manchester United's Scott McTominay at Saif Belhasa's zoo in Dubai on May 18. Courtesy Scott McTominay / Instagram
    Manchester United's Scott McTominay at Saif Belhasa's zoo in Dubai on May 18. Courtesy Scott McTominay / Instagram
  • McTominay, who shows little fear on the pitch, showed no fear when up close with the animals. Courtesy Scott McTominay / Instagram
    McTominay, who shows little fear on the pitch, showed no fear when up close with the animals. Courtesy Scott McTominay / Instagram
  • Leicester City's players were guests of vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha in Saint Tropez, France after the end of the season. Pictured are Matty James, Ben Chilwell, Marc Albrighton, James Maddison, Harry Maguire, Harvey Barnes and Ricardo Pereira. Courtesy James Maddison / Instagram
    Leicester City's players were guests of vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha in Saint Tropez, France after the end of the season. Pictured are Matty James, Ben Chilwell, Marc Albrighton, James Maddison, Harry Maguire, Harvey Barnes and Ricardo Pereira. Courtesy James Maddison / Instagram
  • Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and Wes Morgan in Saint Tropez, France on May 14. Courtesy Ben Chilwell / Instagram
    Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and Wes Morgan in Saint Tropez, France on May 14. Courtesy Ben Chilwell / Instagram
  • Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Chelsea's Kurt Zouma were pictured standing in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in May. Courtesy Paul Pogba / Instagram
    Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Chelsea's Kurt Zouma were pictured standing in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in May. Courtesy Paul Pogba / Instagram
  • Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum in Dubai on May 18. Courtesy Gini Wijnaldum / Instagram
    Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum in Dubai on May 18. Courtesy Gini Wijnaldum / Instagram
  • Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in Dubai on May 16, 2019. Courtesy Mohamed Salah / Twitter
    Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in Dubai on May 16, 2019. Courtesy Mohamed Salah / Twitter
  • Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on May 16. Courtesy Simon Mignolet / Instagram
    Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on May 16. Courtesy Simon Mignolet / Instagram