Bolt took the Beijing Olympics by storm last summer, the towering, laidback Jamaican winning the double gold sprint and also claiming gold as part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team, all won — amazingly — in world record times.
He has continued his impressive form into this season, but the year’s best marks in both the 100 and 200m races (9.77 and 19.58 respectively) have been set by arch-rival Gay, the American who endured a miserable Olympics after rushing back from a debilitating hamstring injury.
Gay is also the runner with the world credentials, having emulated Bolt’s triple gold feat at the last world championships in Osaka two years ago.
The duo have, to the delight of their agents ahead of a showcase competition, avoided each other so far this season, but the Jamaican who claims to have been performing only at 85 per cent of his capability has displayed levels of confidence expected of sprinters.“I would love to do better than the Olympics, just going out there and winning is enough for me,” said the 22-year-old, who is looking to break his own 100m world record of 9.69 when he takes to the track today.
“Expectations are going to be higher here than Beijing, but I am ready to go and do my best. I know what I did there and I know the high responsibility which comes with it, I am working hard to do better than last year.
“I have no problems, I am in good shape and itching to race now.”
At the Osaka worlds in 2007, Gay spearheaded the US team to the top of the overall table, matching a meet record with 14 titles.
Kenya came second with five, thanks to their incomparable distance runners, with Russia in third. — AFP
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