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Usain Bolt chasing a new path
PAUL A REID, Observer writer
Saturday, June 30, 2007
BOLT (left)... personally I felt it was time to get serious
MONTEGO BAY, St James - New men's national record holder in the 200m, Usain Bolt, stopped short of guaranteeing a medal in the 200m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan, in August, but insisted he is "in the top three in the world right now".
Twenty-year-old Bolt, who broke the 35-year-old record held by Olympic legend Don Quarrie on Sunday's third day of the Supreme Ventures National Senior and Junior Trials when he clocked 19.75 seconds to win his third senior title, was in a buoyant mood when he spoke to Sporting World this week.
While allowing that he will have to be on top of his game to beat US champion Tyson Gay who ran a blistering 19.62 seconds earlier on Sunday - the second fastest time ever behind the World Record 19.32 seconds held by Michael Johnson - Bolt is confident he can get the better of his good friend Wallace Spearmon the next time they meet.
Bolt, who will turn 21 just days before the start of the meet, says he will run faster as the season progresses. He thinks he will lower the national record to under 19.70, but said he was not sure how much lower he will go.
In addition to his more relaxed demeanor lately, the World Junior record holder (19.93 seconds) has also been drawing positive attention for his more mature behaviour lately.
Gone are the days when he felt compelled to put on a show for the fans, the silver necklace in the mouth while racing and looking right and left at his opponents while decimating them over the half lap race.
These days it is all business when he steps on the track and Sunday's race was the first in a long time that anyone can recall that he ran right through the tape.
"Personally I felt it was time to get serious," he said. Been thrust into the glare of the spotlight since he became the youngest ever IAAF champion when he won the World Junior Championships 200m title in Kingston in 2002, it was either sink or swim. "Over the years I have learned a lot and it forces you to grow up quickly," said the athlete.
Still searching for a major title since he became a senior, Bolt said: "I am hungry for a title under my belt and if you want to be a world champion you have to be serious and buckle down and do the work."
The change, he claims, came mainly from his relationship with his coach Glen Mills, who his also a mentor.
"Pretty much it has been just my coach and myself. My coach talk to me a lot about maintaining focus and after going on the circuit last year and seeing others like Gay run fast, it just really open your eyes really to see what is going on around you."
While his new focus is on the task at hand, he has not forgotten his fans. "I will always try to entertain the fans in my performances, but since lately coach has told me to stop the playing around and just get down to business... I won't ignore the fans, however, and I always thank them for coming out and supporting me," Bolt said.
In a frank admission, Bolt confirmed what had been rumoured that he used to party excessively, but said thatwas exagerated. "I am young and I like to go out and enjoy myself, I work very hard and so I like to enjoy myself, but I don't overdo it, as too much does not work with performing well on the track."
Bolt signed a lucrative new contract extension with sporting goods manufacturers Puma last weekend, a deal that is said to be worth seven figures in US dollar terms.
"My hard work is paying off and... I think I deserve it as I have been working hard over the years and I am getting better all the time, and if you work hard, you will get paid and this is why we work hard," he said with a chuckle.
The new contract, he said, also indicates that despite the trials and tribulations he has gone through in the past few years, shows that people still believe in him.
For every high Bolt enjoyed since 2002, there were the lows as well, mainly injuries that kept him out of action for long periods and also robbed him of what seemed a certain place on the podium at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Bolt was drawn in lane one, and coming off the bend with the field, slowed to a trot, finished last and was later diagnosed as having a tear in his hamstring.
That period he said left him "extremely frustrated, as after you work so hard, you can't run for the entire season". But the new Bolt, at the top of his game, took all his disappointments in stride saying it is all part of the learning curve.
"I have learned it is a part of the game and you just have to work hard and do things that will help to prevent the recurrence of these injuries" he pointed out.
PAUL A REID, Observer writer
Saturday, June 30, 2007
BOLT (left)... personally I felt it was time to get seriousMONTEGO BAY, St James - New men's national record holder in the 200m, Usain Bolt, stopped short of guaranteeing a medal in the 200m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan, in August, but insisted he is "in the top three in the world right now".
Twenty-year-old Bolt, who broke the 35-year-old record held by Olympic legend Don Quarrie on Sunday's third day of the Supreme Ventures National Senior and Junior Trials when he clocked 19.75 seconds to win his third senior title, was in a buoyant mood when he spoke to Sporting World this week.
While allowing that he will have to be on top of his game to beat US champion Tyson Gay who ran a blistering 19.62 seconds earlier on Sunday - the second fastest time ever behind the World Record 19.32 seconds held by Michael Johnson - Bolt is confident he can get the better of his good friend Wallace Spearmon the next time they meet.
Bolt, who will turn 21 just days before the start of the meet, says he will run faster as the season progresses. He thinks he will lower the national record to under 19.70, but said he was not sure how much lower he will go.
In addition to his more relaxed demeanor lately, the World Junior record holder (19.93 seconds) has also been drawing positive attention for his more mature behaviour lately.
Gone are the days when he felt compelled to put on a show for the fans, the silver necklace in the mouth while racing and looking right and left at his opponents while decimating them over the half lap race.
These days it is all business when he steps on the track and Sunday's race was the first in a long time that anyone can recall that he ran right through the tape.
"Personally I felt it was time to get serious," he said. Been thrust into the glare of the spotlight since he became the youngest ever IAAF champion when he won the World Junior Championships 200m title in Kingston in 2002, it was either sink or swim. "Over the years I have learned a lot and it forces you to grow up quickly," said the athlete.
Still searching for a major title since he became a senior, Bolt said: "I am hungry for a title under my belt and if you want to be a world champion you have to be serious and buckle down and do the work."
The change, he claims, came mainly from his relationship with his coach Glen Mills, who his also a mentor.
"Pretty much it has been just my coach and myself. My coach talk to me a lot about maintaining focus and after going on the circuit last year and seeing others like Gay run fast, it just really open your eyes really to see what is going on around you."
While his new focus is on the task at hand, he has not forgotten his fans. "I will always try to entertain the fans in my performances, but since lately coach has told me to stop the playing around and just get down to business... I won't ignore the fans, however, and I always thank them for coming out and supporting me," Bolt said.
In a frank admission, Bolt confirmed what had been rumoured that he used to party excessively, but said thatwas exagerated. "I am young and I like to go out and enjoy myself, I work very hard and so I like to enjoy myself, but I don't overdo it, as too much does not work with performing well on the track."
Bolt signed a lucrative new contract extension with sporting goods manufacturers Puma last weekend, a deal that is said to be worth seven figures in US dollar terms.
"My hard work is paying off and... I think I deserve it as I have been working hard over the years and I am getting better all the time, and if you work hard, you will get paid and this is why we work hard," he said with a chuckle.
The new contract, he said, also indicates that despite the trials and tribulations he has gone through in the past few years, shows that people still believe in him.
For every high Bolt enjoyed since 2002, there were the lows as well, mainly injuries that kept him out of action for long periods and also robbed him of what seemed a certain place on the podium at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Bolt was drawn in lane one, and coming off the bend with the field, slowed to a trot, finished last and was later diagnosed as having a tear in his hamstring.
That period he said left him "extremely frustrated, as after you work so hard, you can't run for the entire season". But the new Bolt, at the top of his game, took all his disappointments in stride saying it is all part of the learning curve.
"I have learned it is a part of the game and you just have to work hard and do things that will help to prevent the recurrence of these injuries" he pointed out.
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