USAIN BOLT HAS SENT A WARNING TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, THE JAMAICAN PLANS ON DOING THE UNTHINKABLE

Jamaica's Usain Bolt aims to preserve his sprint dominance and add to his collection of six Olympic gold medals before he ends his glittering athletics career after the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

The Olympic champion and world record holder over 100 and 200 metres, has struggled with a slight hamstring strain this year and last competed in a meeting in the Cayman Islands last month where he ran the 100 at a relatively pedestrian 10.09 seconds.



The 26 year old has declared that he will reign as the sprint king until he tries to make history in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro by becoming the first man to triumph over 100m and 200m at three Games in a row.

‘I think I have four more years, personally, in this sport, so now it’s all about dominating for those four years,’ said Bolt.

‘I’m looking forward to the Rio Olympics, to doing something that’s never been done before, so that’s one of my biggest things right now.

‘But over the next four years, I’ll try to dominate the sport and show people that it’s possible to go year-in, year-out, just being the best,’ he added. ‘The time I lost at the championships was because of the start. But I ran against the best field again last season and I beat all of them.

Bolt’s main target this season is to regain the world title he lost in 2011 after being disqualified in the final for a false start. 

‘This season, I will take it just like the Olympics because it’s the world championships and I’ll be focused, I’ll be ready and looking forward to the challenge. I thrive on challenges.

‘Everyone’s going to be there and it’s a chance to show the world that I’m the best.

‘I always want to be the best, so I look forward to running against these guys at the world championships this season.’

Bolt will first need to put on a show in Rome's Olympic stadium tomorrow night. The men’s 100m field will include the inform Olympic bronze medallist Justin Gatlin, 31 and fellow American Mike Rodgers, 28, both of whom have already dipped under 10 seconds this season.

Gatlin, who served a four-year drugs ban after winning 100m Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, has already warned Bolt and his training partner Yohan Blake to expect a ‘dogfight’ after he won the opening Diamond League 100m race in Doha last month.

Blake, the world champion, is recovering from a right hamstring injury, but Bolt seemed unperturbed by Gatlin’s wind-assisted 9.88sec run in Eugene last weekend, or his penchant for trash talk.

‘He has said a lot already,’ explained Bolt, ‘but for me, it’s an honour because, for me, it’s when you show up and prove yourself to be the best at the championships — that’s what matters.

‘I try not to worry about one athlete. It’s never a problem for me. I always go to the championship and prove myself again.’