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.

“A lot of people may talk, but they don’t know what I went through,” said the International Association of Athletics Federations male athlete of the year.

“I came back at the world championships and I won a medal, I ran a fast time and I was unbeaten,” said the lanky Jamaican who successfully defended his world 200 metres crown and anchored Jamaica to a world record in the 4×100 metres relay.

“So for me, last season was probably one of my best seasons that I have ever had taking into consideration the work that I could put in (and what) I had to go through.”

When he will run his first sprint test of 2011 or meet up with training partner and 100 metres world champion Yohan Blake has not been determined, Bolt said.

“Definitely I will open in Jamaica,” he said. “Otherwise I am not sure what I will be doing next season.”

Any race against Blake, the hot new sprinter who not only claimed the 100 metres world title but ran the second fastest 200 metres of all-time last season, would be a spectator’s delight.

But Bolt, at least publicly, tried not to attach special significance to any potential meeting.

“For me, it is all the same thing with everybody,” said Bolt, who at age 25 is three years older than Blake. “It is not going to change anything for me.

“For me, it is a job. So if I have got to go out there and race against Yohan, it is OK,” said Bolt, who has never lost to Blake.

A major fan of English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United, Bolt will be on view for American football fans on Monday when he helps launch a marketing campaign for sponsor Gatorade called “Win From Within.”

The commercial, which will air during the Rose and Fiesta Bowl games, also will feature basketball’s Dwyane Wade, tennis’ Serena Williams, swimmer Ryan Lochte and soccer player Abby Wambach.

Bolt spent more than five hours on set for his role in the commercial and made a quick discovery.

“(Running a) 100 is much easier,” he said. “Much, much easier.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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.

“A lot of people may talk, but they don’t know what I went
through,” said the International Association of Athletics
Federations male athlete of the year.

“I came back at the world championships and I won a medal, I
ran a fast time and I was unbeaten,” said the lanky Jamaican who
successfully defended his world 200 metres crown and anchored
Jamaica to a world record in the 4×100 metres relay.

“So for me, last season was probably one of my best seasons
that I have ever had taking into consideration the work that I
could put in (and what) I had to go through.”

When he will run his first sprint test of 2011 or meet up
with training partner and 100 metres world champion Yohan Blake
has not been determined, Bolt said.

“Definitely I will open in Jamaica,” he said. “Otherwise I
am not sure what I will be doing next season.”

Any race against Blake, the hot new sprinter who not only
claimed the 100 metres world title but ran the second fastest
200 metres of all-time last season, would be a spectator’s
delight.

But Bolt, at least publicly, tried not to attach special
significance to any potential meeting.

“For me, it is all the same thing with everybody,” said Bolt,
who at age 25 is three years older than Blake. “It is not going
to change anything for me.

“For me, it is a job. So if I have got to go out there and
race against Yohan, it is OK,” said Bolt, who has never lost to
Blake.

A major fan of English Premier League powerhouse Manchester
United, Bolt will be on view for American football fans on
Monday when he helps launch a marketing campaign for sponsor
Gatorade called “Win From Within.”

The commercial, which will air during the Rose and Fiesta
Bowl games, also will feature basketball’s Dwyane Wade, tennis’
Serena Williams, swimmer Ryan Lochte and soccer player Abby
Wambach.

Bolt spent more than five hours on set for his role in the
commercial and made a quick discovery.

“(Running a) 100 is much easier,” he said. “Much, much
easier.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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.

“A lot of people may talk, but they don’t know what I went through,” said the International Association of Athletics Federations male athlete of the year.

“I came back at the world championships and I won a medal, I ran a fast time and I was unbeaten,” said the lanky Jamaican who successfully defended his world 200 meters crown and anchored Jamaica to a world record in the 4×100 meters relay.

“So for me, last season was probably one of my best seasons that I have ever had taking into consideration the work that I could put in (and what) I had to go through.”

When he will run his first sprint test of 2011 or meet up with training partner and 100 meters world champion Yohan Blake has not been determined, Bolt said.

“Definitely I will open in Jamaica,” he said. “Otherwise I am not sure what I will be doing next season.”

Any race against Blake, the hot new sprinter who not only claimed the 100 meters world title but ran the second fastest 200 meters of all-time last season, would be a spectator’s delight.

But Bolt, at least publicly, tried not to attach special significance to any potential meeting.

“For me, it is all the same thing with everybody,” said Bolt, who at age 25 is three years older than Blake. “It is not going to change anything for me.

“For me, it is a job. So if I have got to go out there and race against Yohan, it is OK,” said Bolt, who has never lost to Blake.

A major fan of English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United, Bolt will be on view for American football fans on Monday when he helps launch a marketing campaign for sponsor Gatorade called “Win From Within.”

The commercial, which aired during Monday’s Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl games, also featured basketball’s Dwyane Wade, tennis’ Serena Williams, swimmer Ryan Lochte and soccer player Abby Wambach.

Bolt spent more than five hours on set for his role in the commercial and made a quick discovery.

“(Running a) 100 is much easier,” he said. “Much, much easier.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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.

“A lot of people may talk, but they don’t know what I went
through,” said the International Association of Athletics
Federations male athlete of the year.

“I came back at the world championships and I won a medal, I
ran a fast time and I was unbeaten,” said the lanky Jamaican who
successfully defended his world 200 metres crown and anchored
Jamaica to a world record in the 4×100 metres relay.

“So for me, last season was probably one of my best seasons
that I have ever had taking into consideration the work that I
could put in (and what) I had to go through.”

When he will run his first sprint test of 2011 or meet up
with training partner and 100 metres world champion Yohan Blake
has not been determined, Bolt said.

“Definitely I will open in Jamaica,” he said. “Otherwise I
am not sure what I will be doing next season.”

Any race against Blake, the hot new sprinter who not only
claimed the 100 metres world title but ran the second fastest
200 metres of all-time last season, would be a spectator’s
delight.

But Bolt, at least publicly, tried not to attach special
significance to any potential meeting.

“For me, it is all the same thing with everybody,” said Bolt,
who at age 25 is three years older than Blake. “It is not going
to change anything for me.

“For me, it is a job. So if I have got to go out there and
race against Yohan, it is OK,” said Bolt, who has never lost to
Blake.

A major fan of English Premier League powerhouse Manchester
United, Bolt will be on view for American football fans on
Monday when he helps launch a marketing campaign for sponsor
Gatorade called “Win From Within.”

The commercial, which aired during Monday’s Rose Bowl and
Fiesta Bowl games, also featured basketball’s Dwyane Wade,
tennis’ Serena Williams, swimmer Ryan Lochte and soccer player
Abby Wambach.

Bolt spent more than five hours on set for his role in the
commercial and made a quick discovery.

“(Running a) 100 is much easier,” he said. “Much, much
easier.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

“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.

Things will be different in 2012, said Bolt.

“I am coming back from injury and working my way back up,” said the world 200 metres champion who went undefeated in 2011 but never mustered the times he delivered in previous years.

Blake, meanwhile, raised eyebrows with his world title and a late-season 200 metres run of 19.26 seconds that was seven hundredths of a second outside Bolt’s world record.

The 21-year-old’s emergence has helped both sprinters, Bolt said.

“We train together and push each other to get better,” said Bolt, who is four years older than Blake.

“Yohan is a very competitive person and he competes in training all the time,” Bolt said. “But I am not really that much of a competing person in training.

“Some times we go at it (in training), but it is all fun and games.”

The seriousness will come when they race, and if Bolt has his way, his 100 and 200 metres records of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds will tumble next year, hopefully at the Olympics.

“It would be very important, even wonderful if I could get my records at the Games,” Bolt said.

“I really want to do that because that allows me to wow the crowd….but you never know what the weather is going to be.”

Only if he breaks the records and defends his titles will he consider himself the best.

“A lot of people have done great things. For me to go back to the Olympics and get records and win again, that would make me in my books a legend,” Bolt said.

“A lot of people already say I am, but I set high standards.”

He may even go for gold in the 4×400 metres relay, something first mentioned several months ago.

“I have looked at the schedule now and the 4×4 comes (a day) before the 4×1 so I don’t think I would really want to chance it,” Bolt said.

But he quickly added, “if I am fit enough, and Jamaica has a good team, I probably will try.”

An individual 400 is unlikely until after the London Games, if then, except in training runs, Bolt said.

But long jumping may find a way onto his program before he retires in 2016 or 2017.

“I definitely want to try it. I think I would be good.”

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

“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.

Things will be different in 2012, said Bolt.

“I am coming back from injury and working my way back up,”
said the world 200 metres champion who went undefeated in 2011
but never mustered the times he delivered in previous years.

Blake, meanwhile, raised eyebrows with his world title and a
late-season 200 metres run of 19.26 seconds that was seven
hundredths of a second outside Bolt’s world record.

The 21-year-old’s emergence has helped both sprinters, Bolt
said.

“We train together and push each other to get better,” said
Bolt, who is four years older than Blake.

“Yohan is a very competitive person and he competes in
training all the time,” Bolt said. “But I am not really that
much of a competing person in training.

“Some times we go at it (in training), but it is all fun and
games.”

The seriousness will come when they race, and if Bolt has
his way, his 100 and 200 metres records of 9.58 and 19.19
seconds will tumble next year, hopefully at the Olympics.

“It would be very important, even wonderful if I could get
my records at the Games,” Bolt said.

“I really want to do that because that allows me to wow the
crowd….but you never know what the weather is going to be.”

Only if he breaks the records and defends his titles will he
consider himself the best.

“A lot of people have done great things. For me to go back
to the Olympics and get records and win again, that would make
me in my books a legend,” Bolt said.

“A lot of people already say I am, but I set high
standards.”

He may even go for gold in the 4×400 metres relay, something
first mentioned several months ago.

“I have looked at the schedule now and the 4×4 comes (a day)
before the 4×1 so I don’t think I would really want to chance
it,” Bolt said.

But he quickly added, “if I am fit enough, and Jamaica has
a good team, I probably will try.”

An individual 400 is unlikely until after the London Games,
if then, except in training runs, Bolt said.

But long jumping may find a way onto his programme before
he retires in 2016 or 2017.

“I definitely want to try it. I think I would be good.”

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

“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.

Davies said British officials had assured the IAAF there would be a track in the stadium.

The bid has been clouded by a row over the Olympic Stadium, with Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur seeking a judicial review of the decision to allow West Ham United to take over the facility after next year’s Games.

West Ham has said it would retain a track in the stadium.

Doha, in a bid to avoid some of its hottest weather, would like to hold the championships in September rather than the traditional August date.

The IAAF will consider the request in the coming weeks.

“It is possible that a date can vary,” Diack said, noting there was no fast rule the championships must be in August.

“The last half of September is something I have nothing against,” he said.

The Daegu championships began on August 27 and end later on Sunday. Moscow will hold the event in 2013 and Beijing in 2015.

Diack also repeated his comments that the one-and-you-are-done false start rule would not change.

The rule, in effect since 2010, gained worldwide attention when Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt was disqualified in the 100 meters final on the championships’ second day.

“But that is not going to make us change,” Diack said.

IAAF officials also said these have been a clean championships with no positive doping tests reported as of mid-day Sunday.

Blood samples from 1,848 athletes, all of the accredited participants, have been collected during the championships for current and future analysis as part of a breakthrough IAAF project.

The program is in addition to in-competition testing of more than 500 urine samples.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

“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.

WHITE ELEPHANT

This year’s bid has been clouded by a row over the Olympic Stadium, with Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur seeking a judicial review of the decision to allow West Ham United to take over the facility after next year’s Games.

West Ham has said it would retain athletics in the stadium.

“Somebody said that a stadium with 40,000-50,000 (capacity) with athletics in London is a white elephant,” Diack said.

But he pointed out that a 60,000 seat stadium in his hometown of Dakar has found multiple use including athletics and soccer.

“I think if a small country like Senegal can have this, I don’t think you can say London having a stadium with a track is a white elephant.”

Diack, 78, said he dreamed of Britain holding a world championships at some future date.

He made clear, though, the sport’s biggest show outside the Olympics would not be going to an ageing facility like Crystal Palace.

“It is not the place to organise a world championships,” said the recently reelected IAAF president.

“We had the World Cup (of Athletics) there in 1994. It was not good. It was very difficult to find the place.”

(Editing by Ossian Shine)

“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.

WHITE ELEPHANT

This year’s bid has been clouded by a row over the Olympic Stadium, with Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur seeking a judicial review of the decision to allow West Ham United to take over the facility after next year’s Games.

West Ham has said it would retain athletics in the stadium.

“Somebody said that a stadium with 40,000-50,000 (capacity) with athletics in London is a white elephant,” Diack said.

But he pointed out that a 60,000 seat stadium in his hometown of Dakar has found multiple use including athletics and soccer.

“I think if a small country like Senegal can have this, I don’t think you can say London having a stadium with a track is a white elephant.”

Diack, 78, said he dreamed of Britain holding a world championships at some future date.

He made clear, though, the sport’s biggest show outside the Olympics would not be going to an aging facility like Crystal Palace.

“It is not the place to organise a world championships,” said the recently reelected IAAF president.

“We had the World Cup (of Athletics) there in 1994. It was not good. It was very difficult to find the place.”

(Editing by Ossian Shine; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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.

The group that is normally the starting point for rules changes, the IAAF Technical Committee, does not meet again until next year.

Officials adopted the one-and-done rule after a decade of discussions in an attempt to speed up the competition but it can also reduce interest in the sport.

BIGGEST DRAW

The 100 meters was to be the highlight of the Daegu championships, at least in the public’s eye, but it went off without the sport’s biggest draw.

“I don’t think anybody was happy to see Usain Bolt disqualified,” Hardy said.

“He is by far and away the biggest name in our sport. We need him,” the IAAF official said of the 100 and 200 meters world record holder and Olympic champion.

“But rules are rules, and rules are for everyone.”

London 2012 Olympics chief and IAAF vice president Sebastian Coe agreed.

“These things happen,” he said. “When they do, there are clear rules to be followed. We don’t play fast and loose with them simply because you get high-profile DQs (disqualifications).”

Women’s 100 meters winner Carmelita Jeter said she had no problem with the regulation.

“It’s a rule. And like any rule you have to abide by it,” Jeter said.

New world 110 meters hurdles champion, American Jason Richardson, said he would not be opposed to a return to the old rule by which the first false start was charged against the field and the second eliminated the offending party.

Richardson was awarded victory after world record-holder Dayron Robles was disqualified for tangling with China’s Liu Xiang over the closing hurdles. The race could have been re-run but officials decided to reject Robles’s appeal.

“I understand everybody wants the big players to run the big times and get the big medals so everybody cries fouls and wants re-runs,” Richardson said. “But that is pretty much why we have those rules.”

Richardson had simple advice for athletes wanting to avoid a repeat of the situations that cost two of the sport’s biggest names the chance to win world titles.

“Stay in your lane and wait for the gun,” he said.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)