SALVO, North Carolina (Reuters) – The world will not need to wait long to get a glimpse at triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt’s fitness for his highly anticipated 2012 season.

Healthy and on a new nutrition program, Bolt plans to launch his run-up to defending his 100 and 200 metres titles at the 2012 London Games with tune-up races in Jamaica next month, the world’s fastest man told Reuters.

“I always run quarters (400s )before the season and I will be starting in February,” Bolt said in a telephone interview from Kingston arranged by sponsor Gatorade. “I think I will run at least two this season.”

Some relay races will also likely be on the early program as Bolt returns to a more traditional warm up for high-powered sprint races later in the season.

An injury slowed the launch of Bolt’s 2011 season until May, but previously he had always made test runs in late January or February to break up training.

“Last year was hard,” Bolt said. “I started the season off a little bit injured. I had to change a lot of things.”

But aside from a false start that cost him a chance to defend his 100 metres world title, the world record holder said he was pleased with the way his year ended.

SALVO, North Carolina, Jan 2 (Reuters) – The world will not need to wait long to get a glimpse at triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt’s fitness for his highly anticipated 2012 season.

Healthy and on a new nutrition program, Bolt plans to launch his run-up to defending his 100 and 200 metres titles at the 2012 London Games with tune-up races in Jamaica next month, the world’s fastest man told Reuters.

“I always run quarters (400s )before the season and I will be starting in February,” Bolt said in a telephone interview from Kingston arranged by sponsor Gatorade. “I think I will run at least two this season.”

Some relay races will also likely be on the early program as Bolt returns to a more traditional warm up for high-powered sprint races later in the season.

An injury slowed the launch of Bolt’s 2011 season until May, but previously he had always made test runs in late January or February to break up training.

“Last year was hard,” Bolt said. “I started the season off a little bit injured. I had to change a lot of things.”

But aside from a false start that cost him a chance to defend his 100 metres world title, the world record holder said he was pleased with the way his year ended.

SALVO, North Carolina (Reuters) – The world will not need to wait long to get a glimpse at triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt’s fitness for his highly anticipated 2012 season.

Healthy and on a new nutrition program, Bolt plans to launch his run-up to defending his 100 and 200 meters titles at the 2012 London Games with tune-up races in Jamaica next month, the world’s fastest man told Reuters.

“I always run quarters (400s)before the season and I will be starting in February,” Bolt said in a telephone interview from Kingston arranged by sponsor Gatorade. “I think I will run at least two this season.”

Some relay races will also likely be on the early program as Bolt returns to a more traditional warm up for high-powered sprint races later in the season.

An injury slowed the launch of Bolt’s 2011 season until May, but previously he had always made test runs in late January or February to break up training.

“Last year was hard,” Bolt said. “I started the season off a little bit injured. I had to change a lot of things.”

But aside from a false start that cost him a chance to defend his 100 meters world title, the world record holder said he was pleased with the way his year ended.

SALVO (Reuters) – The world will not need to wait long to get a glimpse at triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt’s fitness for his highly anticipated 2012 season.

Healthy and on a new nutrition program, Bolt plans to launch his run-up to defending his 100 and 200 metres titles at the 2012 London Games with tune-up races in Jamaica next month, the world’s fastest man told Reuters.

“I always run quarters (400s)before the season and I will be starting in February,” Bolt said in a telephone interview from Kingston arranged by sponsor Gatorade. “I think I will run at least two this season.”

Some relay races will also likely be on the early program as Bolt returns to a more traditional warm up for high-powered sprint races later in the season.

An injury slowed the launch of Bolt’s 2011 season until May, but previously he had always made test runs in late January or February to break up training.

“Last year was hard,” Bolt said. “I started the season off a little bit injured. I had to change a lot of things.”

But aside from a false start that cost him a chance to defend his 100 metres world title, the world record holder said he was pleased with the way his year ended.

SALVO, North Carolina (Reuters) – Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt was quick to remind those who think young Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake will be the favorite for next year’s London Games 100 metres that he was still the man to beat.

“A lot of people have said guys are going to beat me but I am still number one. I am still the Olympic champion,” the world’s fastest man told Reuters in a telephone interview from Kingston Saturday.

“It doesn’t really matter what people say. I go out there and prove them wrong everyday,” Bolt said from the set of a new Gatorade campaign that is launching early next year.

“That’s just one more challenge, and I enjoy challenges.”

Former 100 metres record holder Maurice Greene stirred the pot last week by backing Blake to win the London Games’ most anticipated race.

“If everybody competes like they did this year, I’d say Yohan Blake is going to win,” the American told BBC Radio.

Greene made the same prediction ahead of August’s world championships in Daegu, where Blake won the 100 metres after Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

SALVO, North Carolina, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt was quick to remind those who think young Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake will be the favourite for next year’s London Games 100 metres that he was still the man to beat.

“A lot of people have said guys are going to beat me but I am still number one. I am still the Olympic champion,” the world’s fastest man told Reuters in a telephone interview from Kingston on Saturday.

“It doesn’t really matter what people say. I go out there and prove them wrong everyday,” Bolt said from the set of a new Gatorade campaign that is launching early next year.

“That’s just one more challenge, and I enjoy challenges.”

Former 100 metres record holder Maurice Greene stirred the pot last week by backing Blake to win the London Games’ most anticipated race.

“If everybody competes like they did this year, I’d say Yohan Blake is going to win,” the American told BBC Radio.

Greene made the same prediction ahead of August’s world championships in Daegu, where Blake won the 100 metres after Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) – London and Doha will go head-to-head to host the 2017 world athletics championships, IAAF chief Lamine Diack said on Sunday.

“Barcelona is no longer a candidate,” the International Association of Athletics Federations president told a news conference on the last day of the Daegu world championships.

“There are only two candidates, London and Doha.”

Barcelona had expressed interest in the global meeting but did not submit an official bid, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said.

The IAAF Council will choose between London and Doha at its November meeting in Monaco.

London’s chances depend on an athletics track being maintained in the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

“If they have no stadium, they have no chance,” Diack told Reuters in an interview on Saturday.

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) – London’s chances of hosting the 2017 athletics world championships are dead if it does not retain the 2012 Olympic Stadium for athletics, the president of the sport’s global governing body told Reuters on Saturday.

“If they have no stadium, they have no chance,” International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) president Lamine Diack said in an interview at the Daegu world championships.

“We are not going to organise a championships in Crystal Palace,” Diack said of the current home of London’s major athletics events in the south of the city.

The British capital is battling Doha and Barcelona for the host rights to the 2017 championships.

The winner will be determined by the IAAF Council during its November meeting in Monaco.

This year’s championships end on Sunday in Daegu with Moscow and Beijing following in 2013 and 2015.

London could have hosted the world championships in 2005 but in PR blunder was forced to give up the opportunity to Helsinki when a new stadium was deemed too expensive.

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) – London’s chances of hosting the 2017 athletics world championships are dead if it does not retain the 2012 Olympic Stadium for athletics, the president of the sport’s global governing body told Reuters on Saturday.

“If they have no stadium, they have no chance,” International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) president Lamine Diack said in an interview at the Daegu world championships.

“We are not going to organise a championships in Crystal Palace,” Diack said of the current home of London’s major athletics events in the south of the city.

The British capital is battling Doha and Barcelona for the host rights to the 2017 championships.

The winner will be determined by the IAAF Council during its November meeting in Monaco.

This year’s championships end on Sunday in Daegu with Moscow and Beijing following in 2013 and 2015.

London could have hosted the world championships in 2005 but in PR blunder was forced to give up the opportunity to Helsinki when a new stadium was deemed too expensive.

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) – The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will not be rushed into revising the controversial false-start rule that sent Usain Bolt crashing out of the world championships 100 meters, a top official said on Wednesday.

The one-and-you-are-done rule has been in effect since January 2010 and most elite sprinters do not like it.

But it was not until the lanky Bolt popped out of his blocks ahead of the starter’s gun in Sunday’s 100 meters final did the outcry for change spread to the general public.

“There definitely has been feedback,” IAAF competitions director Paul Hardy said of the mountain of e-mails that have poured into his and other IAAF departments.

“It is big enough that it may be reviewed,” he said. “But remember we are always reviewing our rules.”

The IAAF Council, in extraordinary cases, has the authority to make interim changes to rules.

It meets again on Sunday and while it may discuss the Bolt incident it is unlikely to consider any substantial changes, officials told Reuters.