No triple-gold pursuit for Bolt

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt has dismissed suggestions that he will be attempting to win a hat-trick of individual gold medals at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

"I never actually said that because I doubt I can do that. That would entail a lot of work and extremely hard training," Bolt said at the launch of Racers Track Club on Tuesday night.

Bolt said that it would be too much work in one track meet.

"I think somebody got it wrong along the way but three events, definitely no," he said.

He indicated that it was possible he would do a combination of the 100/200 or 200/400 events, but not the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Earlier this week, track and field's world governing body, the International Amateur Athletic Association (IAAF), said it would consider altering its schedule to facilitate a triple gold-medal bid by the Jamaican, who won the sprint double in world record times at the Beijing Olympics last year.

Reacting to American Tyson Gay's scorching run on Saturday, Bolt said it sets up what should be an interesting season.

Gay, at last Saturday's Reebok Grand Prix in New York, ran an impressive 19.58 seconds, the third fastest time ever behind Bolt's world-record run of 19.30 and Michael Johnson's 19.30.

Sprint-double champion

"I was not surprised because Tyson Gay as a competitor is very determined. He told me from last year that over the 200m would be very interesting," Bolt said.

The sprint-double champion said he was expecting Gay to return to his winning ways, showing that he is one of the best athletes in the world.

"It's going to be an interestingseason and Tyson kicked it off well," said Bolt, who also won gold in Beijing on Jamaica's sprint relay team.

"I am looking forward to going out there and doing my best as well."

Bolt also said he definitely wants to meet Gay before the World Championships in Berlin, in August, to gauge his performance level.

Bolt, who last summer in Beijing stunned the world with world-record runs of 9.69 and 19.30 in the 100 and 200 metres, respectively, said it will be harder as he has to start again from square one.

"I may not be in 19.3 shape, so I have to go out there and run again to try and do my best to get back into that shape that I was in Beijing," Bolt said.

He added that there was still work to be done as he has had numerous ups and downs for the season.

"I am working hard to get back to where I used to be," Bolt concluded.