Bolt vows ‘fast time’ at 100m season opener

World and Olympic triple gold medallist Usain Bolt gets his 100-metre season under way at the Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting on Wednesday and has vowed a “very fast time”.

The Jamaican, who owns the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds and 200m world record of 19.19 seconds, will face three other sub 10-second runners at the stadium, which will host next year’s World Championships.

They include American Travis Padgett, who clocked 9.92sec in the windy Doha Diamond League meet last week, and another Jamaican, Michael Frater, fourth in the Qatari capital in 9.94sec. 60m World Indoor Championships silver medallist Mike Rodgers of the United States also takes part, with a career best of 9.94sec from last season.

But none is in same league as Bolt, who opted to start his 100m season here to get a feel for the track that will host the worlds in August 2011.

“I can test the field and run on the track, so I can determine what I should work on for next year,” he said.

The 23-year-old declined to say what time he was targeting, but insisted he would run “as hard as always,” adding: “That’s always my intention, to please the fans. Hopefully, it will be a very fast time.

“My limit? No one knows their limit. I keep training hard and stay focused and work hard,” he said.

Neither of his two main 100m rivals, fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay, are running in Daegu but they have already made clear they are eyeing his world record this year.

Powell, powered by a gusting desert wind, stormed to victory in Doha in 9.81sec while Gay shattered the 44-year-old world record for the straight line 200m on Sunday.

Other highlights on Wednesday include the men’s 110m hurdles where Dayron Robles will commence his outdoor campaign

AFP