Usain Bolt defeats Asafa Powell in Paris (© Errol Anderson)
Before resuming training Usain Bolt reflects on his season as well as that of other athletes including World record breaker David Rudisha...
“As the track season winds down I look back on 2010 as not my best year but it was a good year for many other athletes.
“From the start of the year I stated that with no major Championships I was going to take it easier but unfortunately injuries caused me more disruption than planned. I had to miss the Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels but have been watching my friends doing well.
“Jermaine Gonzales ended the season 2nd in the Diamond League 400m standings and 2nd fastest in the world with a Jamaican record. My good friend Wallace Spearmon won the 200m Diamond Race and finished the season on top.
“My training partner Yohan Blake firmly established himself as a contender in the 100m and now 200m and in my absence gave Tyson Gay a few good runs. Mario Forsythe finally cracked the 10 secs barrier for 100m with a time of 9.95 secs in Rieti. We have seen this coming in training for two years and for him to finally do it in a race was great.
“I also watched David Rudisha burn up the track at 800m and set a few new world records. A lot of people say we are similar in the way we run – both tall and powerful.
“Over the last few weeks I have been busy promoting my new book – Usain Bolt, 9.58 My Story. It was launched in London last week (September 2) and I did quite a lot of signings and media work.
“If you are wondering what the book is about I will give you a synopsis - 9.58 is Usain Bolt's story so far, in his own words, beautifully illustrated with dozens of specially commissioned photographs. It's about a skinny kid from the parish of Trelawny, where they harvest the best yams in the world. It's about growing up playing cricket and football in the warm Jamaican sun, then discovering that he could run fast, very fast. It's about family, friends and the laid-back Jamaican culture. It's about Auntie Lillian's pork and dumplings and Dad's grocery store in the sleepy village of Sherwood Content. It's about what makes him tick, where he gets his motivation and where he takes his inspiration. It's about the highs and the lows, the dedication and sacrifices required to get to the top. It's about fast food, partying, dancehall music, fast cars and that lightning bolt pose. It's about radiating sport's biggest smile. This is the story of the fastest man on the planet.
“Next week I go to Australia for a few days to do some work for two of my sponsors Gatorade and Puma to participate in a series of activities plus part of the trip is a holiday. I have never been to Australia, so I am looking forward to visiting sights and scenes. Asafa Powell was there a few years ago and told me how nice the country was and it is somewhere I always wanted to go.
“Upon my return to Jamaica, it is back to training on Monday, October 4. I hear Coach Mills has been building a grass hill close to our track at UWI – I am not looking forward to that!
“To all my fellow athletes I hope you enjoy your end of season break. To all the fans I hope you enjoyed 2010 and are looking forward to great things in 2011 as we prepare for the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.”
One love,
Usain Bolt