Bolt, Blake to open Olympic year at low-key meet

Sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, who are both expected to draw worldwide attention in this Olympic year, open the 2012 season at a local meeting on Saturday.

The duo's coach Glen Mills is meet director of the Camperdown Classic, which will be held at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Yohan Blake	Usain Yohan Blake ain Bolt

Both sprinters are expected to race in the timed finals of the 400m, but likely won't go head-to-head in the same heat.

Bolt, who has often said defending the Olympic 100m and 200m titles he won in scintillating fashion in Beijing would make him a legend, elaborated on the road that stretches before him in an interview with AFP. "I am excited to begin my season and I am looking forward to a good performance," said Bolt, holder of world records at 100m (9.58sec) and 200m (19.19). "I aim to successfully defend my Olympic titles and this is just the beginning of competition," added Bolt, who false started in the 100m at last year's World Championships, but days after, defended his 200m crown.

Going into Saturday's meeting, Bolt said he was "happy to be healthy".

Bolt, who has been tipped by 400m world record-holder Michael Johnson as capable of breaking the US legend's longstanding mark of 43.18 -- and perhaps become the first man to run sub-43 -- has a personal best over the distance of 45.28 from May 2007.

His fastest at the Camperdown Classic is 45.54, achieved the last time he raced here, in February 2009.

Blake, who won the 100m world title last year, has a personal best at 400m of 46.80, also done at this same meet in 2009.

Several of Bolt's other training mates from Racers Track Club will also turn out for the meet, which is mainly used to prepare the junior athletes for Jamaica's High School Championships.Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jermaine Gonzales, Olympic 400m finalist Rosemarie Whyte, Olympic 100m finalist Daniel Bailey of Antigua, Shereefa Lloyd, and Schillonie Calvert, are expected to take part. AFP