It is seven years now since Bolt ran his world records – 9.58 for 100m and 19.19 for 200m – in Berlin, also, coincidentally, on a blue track.
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Track-and-field’s biggest star is aiming to complete a “triple triple” of gold medals and goes into the Games as holder of the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles.
Running the 200 metres in less than 19 seconds is the ambitious goal for Usain Bolt at the Rio Olympics.
Bolt’s press conferences are always more like comedy performances: when he retires, as he promises to do after the 2017 world championships, he would make a brilliant chat show host. After the 100m rounds, it always helps my 200m so hopefully I can go on and run fast.
He said training is going well despite his tender hamstring. I think it’s because I love the 200m the most.
“Let us get on with the show”, announced the triple jump world record holder.
Then – bizarrely – there was a rap from Nicolay Andre Ramm, a Norwegian radio journalist, who told Bolt he loved him and didn’t want him to get hit by a Segway, as he had been in the World Championships in Beijing past year. “But in a few years the sport should be clean and I look forward to that”. “For the 100m it is never really stressful, I know where I am weakest and strongest”.
“I like to entertain, because that’s what people come out and see”, Bolt said. “I believe it will be a clean sport in a few years”.
At the finale Bolt was joined on the stage by scantily clad Samba dancers, who he danced along to in ideal time.
Not that his coach, Glen Mills, is letting him get carried away.
Bolt’s news conference on Monday was held at the Cidade das Artes, the home of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the largest theatre in South America. “It has not been the flawless build-up but I am in much better shape”, he said. “He just went on and on until I got depressed”.
The athletics events in Rio begin on Friday 12 August, with Bolt first in action in the 100m on the Saturday, before the final on Sunday.
“In life nothing is guaranteed”, the 29-year-old said when asked if he could be certain the sprint races in Rio would be drug-free. They like it when I do insane stuff.
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“I’ve got to prove myself over and over again”.
