Usain Bolt at the pre-meet press conference in Zurich (© Bob Ramsak)
Zürich, SwitzerlandAs fast as Usain Bolt can run, he cannot escape the people in his ear hastening him to accept new challenges. What are his plans for the 400m? When will he try the Long Jump? Why not the Triple Jump as well? And how about racing Kenenisa Bekele over 600m?
Barely a week has passed since Bolt set the second of his two World Records at the World Championships, in Berlin, and already we want to know how much wider he can spread his wings. He has earned the right to reply ‘haven’t I done enough?’ but Bolt is such an agreeable fellow that he answers the questions without taking exception.
Speaking today, on the eve of the Weltklasse Zurich meeting, the fifth stop of six on the 2009 ÅF Golden League tour, Bolt said that he was determined, sooner or later, to have a serious try at the Long Jump. First, though, he has to gain the approval of his coach, Glen Mills.
Furthermore, Bolt added, it was unlikely that he would tackle the event until the rest of the world’s 100 and 200m runners pressed him more closely.
Bolt set World Records at 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) in Berlin, winning both races by huge margins. As he prepared to run the 100m here, he said in response to questions about training in earnest for the Long Jump and 400 metres: “I definitely want to try the Long jump. I think I’ll be definitely a good long jumper, so I think I should try it before I retire.
“I’ve been trying Long Jump since I was in high school just messing around. But I haven’t really measured it. I always thought I could be a pretty good long jumper so I’m definitely going to try. When? I don’t know. I think maybe when the races start getting a little bit tighter to win - then I’ll probably try Long Jump.”
Might that be in time for the 2012 London Olympics? “I don’t know, we (Bolt and Mills) will have to discuss that,” Bolt said. “We haven’t really discussed that, it is just me wanting to do it. I haven’t really suggested it to my coach. I’m just saying I would like to try it sometime.
“I’m not sure about the 400 as yet. At the end of the season me and my coach will talk but I don’t want to run it very soon.”
Bolt was stumped by a questioner asking him whether he knew what the Jamaican national record was for the Long Jump, replying that he didn’t, but he had a good answer for the journalist who wanted to know why only the Long Jump and not the Triple Jump.
“I think the Triple jump puts a lot of pressure on your knee,” Bolt said. “I don’t want to mess my knees up. I’ve seen it and it looks really bad - the impact on their knees. I don’t want to do that.”
And so to the messenger carrying word from Bekele – or so he said - that the 5000 and 10,000m king would be interested in tackling Bolt over 600m. Would he be up for that? With a good-natured smile, Bolt answered without committing to a race. “I think at 600m I can take him,” Bolt said. “But, at 800m, no.”
So far as his physical condition for tomorrow’s race is concerned, Bolt effectively dismissed any prospect of improving his World Record. Fatigue has become an opponent. “I can’t say I’m not tired, I’m a little bit tired,” Bolt said.
Preceding Bolt on stage at the Weltklasse preview press conference was Yelena Isinbayeva, the Russian pole vaulter who, in Berlin, was defeated in an international championship for the first time in six years. The World record holder admitted that she was “so confident in myself that I lost a bit of concentration”.
Isinbayeva’s self-confessed complacency is a state of mind which Bolt might need to be wary of in years to come.
“Of course it can happen to other athletes at the top level who do not have real rivals because it makes us relax a little bit,” Isinbayeva said. “I know that from me to second place is like 20cm and that makes me like ‘I can do this’. And, of course, it is the same situation with Usain Bolt.
“He is (a long way) ahead of his rivals but now he is fresh – he is performing for only the second year at this level – so I hope he will keep going in the same way that he is doing now. But I am sure he will get tired from everything so I hope that he concentrates in the future.
“If you still feel the pleasure from your performance that’s good but one day, if you feel so tired from everything – tired of the expectation, tired of the competition – this is a problem that can happen to all (dominant) athletes.”
Bolt took Isinbayeva’s comments on board. “It’s going to come sometime in your track and field career because you are going to get older and there will be other athletes coming up and then it’s their time,” he said. “So I know that right now is just my time and I’m really just enjoying my time at the top.”
David Powell for the IAAF
Barely a week has passed since Bolt set the second of his two World Records at the World Championships, in Berlin, and already we want to know how much wider he can spread his wings. He has earned the right to reply ‘haven’t I done enough?’ but Bolt is such an agreeable fellow that he answers the questions without taking exception.
Speaking today, on the eve of the Weltklasse Zurich meeting, the fifth stop of six on the 2009 ÅF Golden League tour, Bolt said that he was determined, sooner or later, to have a serious try at the Long Jump. First, though, he has to gain the approval of his coach, Glen Mills.
Furthermore, Bolt added, it was unlikely that he would tackle the event until the rest of the world’s 100 and 200m runners pressed him more closely.
Bolt set World Records at 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) in Berlin, winning both races by huge margins. As he prepared to run the 100m here, he said in response to questions about training in earnest for the Long Jump and 400 metres: “I definitely want to try the Long jump. I think I’ll be definitely a good long jumper, so I think I should try it before I retire.
“I’ve been trying Long Jump since I was in high school just messing around. But I haven’t really measured it. I always thought I could be a pretty good long jumper so I’m definitely going to try. When? I don’t know. I think maybe when the races start getting a little bit tighter to win - then I’ll probably try Long Jump.”
Might that be in time for the 2012 London Olympics? “I don’t know, we (Bolt and Mills) will have to discuss that,” Bolt said. “We haven’t really discussed that, it is just me wanting to do it. I haven’t really suggested it to my coach. I’m just saying I would like to try it sometime.
“I’m not sure about the 400 as yet. At the end of the season me and my coach will talk but I don’t want to run it very soon.”
Bolt was stumped by a questioner asking him whether he knew what the Jamaican national record was for the Long Jump, replying that he didn’t, but he had a good answer for the journalist who wanted to know why only the Long Jump and not the Triple Jump.
“I think the Triple jump puts a lot of pressure on your knee,” Bolt said. “I don’t want to mess my knees up. I’ve seen it and it looks really bad - the impact on their knees. I don’t want to do that.”
And so to the messenger carrying word from Bekele – or so he said - that the 5000 and 10,000m king would be interested in tackling Bolt over 600m. Would he be up for that? With a good-natured smile, Bolt answered without committing to a race. “I think at 600m I can take him,” Bolt said. “But, at 800m, no.”
So far as his physical condition for tomorrow’s race is concerned, Bolt effectively dismissed any prospect of improving his World Record. Fatigue has become an opponent. “I can’t say I’m not tired, I’m a little bit tired,” Bolt said.
Preceding Bolt on stage at the Weltklasse preview press conference was Yelena Isinbayeva, the Russian pole vaulter who, in Berlin, was defeated in an international championship for the first time in six years. The World record holder admitted that she was “so confident in myself that I lost a bit of concentration”.
Isinbayeva’s self-confessed complacency is a state of mind which Bolt might need to be wary of in years to come.
“Of course it can happen to other athletes at the top level who do not have real rivals because it makes us relax a little bit,” Isinbayeva said. “I know that from me to second place is like 20cm and that makes me like ‘I can do this’. And, of course, it is the same situation with Usain Bolt.
“He is (a long way) ahead of his rivals but now he is fresh – he is performing for only the second year at this level – so I hope he will keep going in the same way that he is doing now. But I am sure he will get tired from everything so I hope that he concentrates in the future.
“If you still feel the pleasure from your performance that’s good but one day, if you feel so tired from everything – tired of the expectation, tired of the competition – this is a problem that can happen to all (dominant) athletes.”
Bolt took Isinbayeva’s comments on board. “It’s going to come sometime in your track and field career because you are going to get older and there will be other athletes coming up and then it’s their time,” he said. “So I know that right now is just my time and I’m really just enjoying my time at the top.”
David Powell for the IAAF
