MONACO, CMC – Jamaican Usain Bolt may ditch plans to retire from track after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The World and Olympic sprint champion said there is a possibility that he would compete at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, making a return to the track he set alight in the summer of 2012 at the Olympic Games in the British capital.
“I was having some talk about this with my coach, and he was saying people had said I should go for another year,” he admitted.
Bolt has said consistently following his triple gold medals at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow this year that he will seek three more gold medals at the Rio Games before retiring from the sport.
In his full autobiography, released earlier this month, Bolt said he is not concerned about the huge challenge and expectation of repeating these performances in Rio de Janeiro.
“If there’s a possibility that I might make it, then I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I’ve talked to Coach (Glen Mills) about our chances, and we’ve discussed the situation sensibly by looking at some of the other athletes around us. I’ll be turning 30 when Brazil comes around.”
“Some guys in track and field have run times of 9.80, 9.90 seconds at that age. If I take care of my body and if I can push myself to the limits, then I don’t doubt my ability to make 9.60 seconds in 2016,” he said.
Bolt and his compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were named the 2013 Athletes of the Year at the IAAF World Athletics Gala in Monaco on Saturday.
The awards were hosted by International Athletics Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack, who presented the trophies to the Male and Female winners.
