Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, insisted on Thursday he can run the 100 metres in 9,5 seconds — if he can get back into his gold medal-winning Beijing Olympics form.
The Jamaican also said he had no fear of the in-form Tyson Gay — and if the US sprinter breaks his 9,69 seconds world record, he will break it back.
Bolt, in Britain as the European athletics season gets into full swing, insisted he had yet to reach his peak.
”With a lot of work I think I probably can go a little bit faster with hard work and dedication. That is the key for getting there. I’m working on it,” Bolt told reporters on a visit to a south London sports school.
”I was thinking 9,5 maybe but I’ve got a lot of work to do to get back to the shape I was in.
”I’m not in the best shape right now but I’m working, slowly but surely. I still have a lot of work to do.
”For me it’s always about the World Championships. The fast times will come if I work hard and train really hard, so I’m not really worried about that.”
Bolt suffered minor leg injuries in a car crash in April, but he recovered quickly following minor surgery and is now focused on the biennial World Championships, which take place in Berlin on August 15-23.
Both Gay — owner of the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay world titles — and Bolt — who sensationally captured the same treble at the Beijing Games last August — secured their World Championships berths in their national trials at the weekend.
In New York in May, the American ran the 200 metres in 19,58 seconds, the third-fastest time in history, laying down his intentions for taking on Bolt. The Jamaican won the Beijing gold in a world record 19,30 seconds.
However, the man nicknamed ”Lightning” Bolt is not worried about Gay’s challenge to his records.
”I have no problem. Everybody wants to be a world record holder. If he breaks it, it’s part of the game for me. I’ll work to break it back. It’s all fun and games,” the triple Olympic gold medallist said.
”I’ve no fear. I have no fear of any athlete I go against. I compete at my best at all times. I don’t worry.”
And he insisted that there was plenty more to come from the fastest man on earth.
”I’m not at my peak, I have a little more left in the tank, I have a bit more to go. I’m still trying to get everything together to get that perfect race.”
Bolt also hinted that he may compete in the 400 metres in future.
”I think maybe next year I may try it, I think I can maybe run 44 seconds,” he said.
Since Bolt became the fastest man alive, he has maintained his laid-back persona and is in no rush to give up the chicken nuggets that powered him to victory in Beijing.
”I do eat too much fast food maybe. I do like to enjoy myself,” he admitted.
”I try and stay as much down to earth as possible. I like to have a party because I’m young, so I like to enjoy myself also.
”I train six times a week, mostly in the evening hours when the sun goes down. I’m not really a morning person.”
But he added: ”I think I was born naturally fast.
”Natural talent takes you just so far, then you’ve got to put in the work.
”I know what it takes to get to the top. It’s all about hard work and dedication. That’s what makes me the fastest man in the world.” — AFP
