'It's my time now,' warns sprint king Bolt

Luke PHILLIPS

Jamaican Usain Bolt, who this month added treble world gold to his trio of Olympic sprint titles, insisted Thursday that he would work to continue his recent rich vein of form.

Bolt, who also bettered his own world records in winning the 100m and 200m (9.58 and 19.19sec respectively) at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, also mulled over the idea of competing in the long jump.

"Asafa, Tyson have had their times," he said in reference to compatriot and former world record holder Powell and American Tyson, who won the sprint treble at the Osaka 2007 worlds.

"I know it's my time now. I'm going to enjoy it, work on it and stay focused," Bolt said ahead of the Golden League meet here on Friday.

"I think the crowd is getting bigger!"

Bolt also played up his chances of one day competing in the long jump although he was sketchy on any real plans.

"I'd definitely be a good long jumper," he said.

"I've been trying long jump since high school. I've messed around but I haven't really measured it. It looked big.

"I should try it before I die," he said, adding that he would only be doing it "when the 100 and 200m get a little tighter to win".

Bolt put Jamaica's stunning overall performance in Berlin, when they finished second in the medal table behind the United States with a 13-medal haul including seven golds, four silvers and two bronzes, down to the Caribbean island hanging onto most of its best athletes. Many sprinters from across the Caribbean have traditionally been plucked from near obscurity and handed scholarships at US colleges, benefitting from more advanced facilities and getting access to high-level coaches.

According to Bolt, those athletes are however sometimes let down by over-demanding coaches who put their respective colleges before a sprinter's welfare.

But Bolt, who is coached by Glen Mills, said this trend was turning, and for the better.

"Most athletes are staying in Jamaica," he said.

"When you go to the United States, you go through lots of injuries because you have to run week after week after week. And you're on scholarships so it's not like you can say you're not going to run.

"The guys go through a lot and get injuries and half the time when they leave Jamaica, don't make it to the top."

The 23-year-old added: "Most of the guys doing well now are the persons who stayed in Jamaica and who can determine when they want to run and at what time and don't put their body through such strenous work running every weekend."

Bolt, who admitted to being tired after his exertions in Berlin, said he would not fall into the trap star pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva had.

The Russian, seeking a third consecutive world title, bombed out with all three of her attempts in Berlin and on Thursday blamed "over-confidence", something she said could affect Bolt.

Over-confidence "can happen to any athlete at the top level who does not enjoy regular competition", she said. "That makes you relax. I know that between me and second place is 20cm so it's easy.

"It's the same as Usain Bolt. He's maybe three steps ahead of his rivals but he's fresh and only in his second year at this level.

"I hope he can keep focused for the future. It's a hard life to be at the top, it's tough to make true all the expectations from the people, the fans, the government and federation, from everything."

But Bolt said he laid too much store in coach Mills to ever let that happen.

"I'm not too confident," he said. "I have a coach who won't let that happen. He'll always be on top of me, working me hard, pushing me and reminding me to keep an eye on myself." ZURICH, Friday AFP