RALEIGH, North Carolina, (Reuters) – A fatigued Usain Bolt will wait until this weekend to decide whether or not to compete in China and South Korea later this month, his agent told Reuters yesterday, rebuffing media reports the world’s fastest man had canceled his Asian trip.
“I have informed both organisers in Shanghai and Korea (Daegu) that we will continue to analyse his performance until after the world athletics final (in Thessaloniki, Greece on Sunday), and see how he is,” Ricky Simms said in a telephone interview from London.
Triple Olympic and world champion Bolt is scheduled to run 100 metres races in Shanghai on Sept. 20 and Daegu on Sept. 25 after competing in a 200 metres at Thessaloniki.
The 23-year-old Jamaican said after recent meetings in Zurich and Brussels the long season in which he broke both his 100 and 200 metres world records has left him fatigued.
“He’s a jewel in the crown of athletics… he’s the golden man… and hopefully can run for 10 years, so we don’t need to over race him this year,” Simms told Reuters.
“Yes, he could earn good money (in Asia) but it is very important that he not over do it this year.
“It will be pretty much after Sunday, when we make a decision,” Simms said.
The trip to Asia, if he makes it, would be Bolt’s first since his eye-catching, triple gold performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in which he set world records in the 100 and 200 metres and led Jamaica to a world mark in the 4×100 metres relay.
Bolt shattered both individual world records with another stunning performance at last month’s world championships in Berlin, running 9.58 seconds in the 100 metres and 19.19 in the 200. He also led Jamaica to the world 4×100 metres relay gold.
“We have been analysing his performances and everything since the world championships — Coach (Glen) Mills and myself — and everyone saw he was very, very tired in Zurich,” Simms said.
Bolt needed a late surge to win the 100 metres in 9.81 at Zurich on Aug. 28, but looked much stronger a week later in racing 19.57 seconds over 200 metres in Brussels.
“He ran well in Brussels, but was also complaining that it was very tough, he was getting tired,” Simms said. “So we are analysing what he does the rest of the season.”
Bolt made obvious after Brussels what he would like to do.
“Oh my God, I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to going home,” said the sprinter, who has been on the road since July 1.
