Bolt targets 2016 Rio Olympics
Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt has a clear focus on the next Summer Games. His plans for the 2013 season? They're not so clear.
Bolt said on Wednesday that he's looking forward to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, though has yet to decide which events he will compete in during the world championship season next year.
"If I can go to Rio and really defend all my titles, that would make it even greater," Bolt told reporters ahead of the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting on Thursday.
With just two races remaining this season - the 200 metres in Zurich and a 100 in Brussels next week - his future plans have attracted more attention.
Bolt has revived his old flirtation with adding the long jump to his usual program of 100 and 200 metres and 4x100 relay in Jamaica colours at the 2013 world championships in Moscow or beyond.
The strategy of track and field's biggest and most marketable star will be discussed soon with coach Glen Mills.
"I will be saying long jump, he'll probably be saying 400 metres," said Bolt, who has traditionally dismissed thoughts of training for the one-lap event. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do next season. We have to work all that out first."
Bolt said his options included focusing on lowering his world record times - 9.58 in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200 - or adding more titles and gold medals.
"You never know what we might come up with. 'Let's try to run under 19 seconds, let's try to run 9.4, 9.3,'" he suggested, before reminding that he judged himself by performing at major events.
"When you have world records it's kind of hard to focus solely on trying to go faster," said Bolt, while acknowledging that is exactly what fans want to see.
He intends lining up at Moscow next August, "without a doubt," though insisted he does not know in which events. Still, the 200 is his favourite event and he will surely want to regain the 100 world title he ceded to training partner Yohan Blake after being disqualified from the final for a false start last year.
Bolt responded without obvious enthusiasm to a question about competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. He also missed the last Commonwealths held in New Delhi, and much of that 2010 season appeared designed to avoid burning out midway between Summer Olympics.
"If you push your body every year it is going to deteriorate quickly," Bolt explained. "I want to last as long as I possibly can in this sport."
Bolt is unlikely to challenge his 200 world record on Thursday, even if forecast heavy rain does not fall on the Letzigrund stadium.
"I just want to go home. I'm counting the days now," he said.
