Usain Bolt signing autographs for young fans in Trelawny (© Paul Reid)
Martha Brae, Trelawny, JamaicaTriple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt is eagerly looking forward to return to the regimen of training as Olympic celebrations and appearances drag out more than two months after the last race was run in Beijing.
It has been almost non-stop activity for the 22-year-old including a week-long official celebration put on by the Jamaican government since he returned to the Island on 8 September to a rapturous welcome, and he is starting to show signs of getting tired of it all.
On Wednesday he and Olympic teammate Marvin Anderson were honoured by their former high school William Knibb Memorial in a ceremony that lasted well over three hours including a brief interruption by a swiftly moving shower of rain.
In a short interview with members of the media after receiving citations and donating hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of educational and sporting equipment to several schools, Bolt said he was looking forward to the rigours and structure of pre-season training.
"I am looking forward to getting back into training because the past few weeks have been kinda stressful," he said while signing autographs for children from several area schools.
"When I am in training I will be forced to stay home and not be flying all over the place and doing all kinds of things, I am looking forward to that."
Bolt who has left the Island three times since he returned, once for a short vacation to another Caribbean Island and the others for promotional appearances on several American television sports channels and variety shows.
Bolt, who lowered the World Records in the 100m and 200m to 9.69 and 19.30 and ran the third leg on the Jamaican quartet that broke the World Record in the 4x100m Relay with a 37.10 run in Beijing, said, "The constant flying everywhere and (appearances) have been very hectic, and I am looking forward to the regimen of training." He added that he did not get as much rest as he would have liked in order to get ready for what are usually tough pre-season work outs.
He also pointed out that despite the constant demand on his time, "I need to have my own life as well and try to enjoy myself and I know that once I get back to training everything will be ok."
Bolt has at least one more long trip planned before the end of the year when he will travel to Monaco for the IAF World Athletics Gala in late November.
The highlight of the 2009 season will be the IAAF World Championships in Berlin and when asked how he might top his triple gold medal and World Record performance from Beijing, Bolt said he always intend to perform at his optimum and he will be gearing to do just that in Berlin.
On Wednesday, Bolt and Anderson, with the help of several corporate sponsors, donated computers, a refrigerator, track shoes, cricket gear, knap sacks and gym equipment to several schools as well as cellular telephones and gift baskets to several individuals including former teachers, coaches, the school's grounds man and bus driver.
Paul Reid for the IAAF