Barbados Today

LONDON – Usain Bolt has said he would probably only run the 200m if he decided to compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games.

The six-time Olympic champion hopes to participate in Glasgow, but will discuss it with his coach Glen Mills.

“It’s on my to-do list,” Bolt, 27, told BBC Radio 5 live. “I really want to do it but I never go against my coach.

“It [the 100m and 200m double] probably would be unlikely. I probably would run the 200m if I go because it’s my favourite event.”

The Jamaican has never won a Commonwealth medal but added: “We are going to discuss it, we are not fully sure if I will go but throughout the season we will decide if that will be a good thing to do.”

Bolt came to prominence with victory in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and did the same in London four years later. He now aims to complete the ‘treble treble’ by winning all three disciplines at the 2016 Games in Rio to cement his legend status.

“That would be outstanding for me,” said Bolt. “I’ve done so much so far and to go and to defend my titles once more would just set me apart from a lot of athletes.

“I want my name in stone with many other athletes – [boxer] Mohammed Ali, [runner] Michael Johnson, [basketball player] Michael Jordan – all these greats in their different sports.

“I want to be among these guys when I retire, so that when people talk about sport I’m always in the mix.”

Bolt is considering putting plans to end his career after the next Olympics on hold to run at the 2017 World Championships in London.

“I wanted to retire after Rio,” he said. “But my fans are really saying: ‘No, go one more year, do it one more time’. Then my sponsors came on board, so I might go one more year.

“I said it to my coach and he said it’s possible, it can be done. We’ll see.”

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s Mark Pougatch, Bolt also suggested breaking his 100m and 200m world records next season is a “possibility”, ruled out competing in the 400m or long jump –

“I really wanted to try, but my coach said no, I’m too tall, it will lead to knee problems, supported Pakistan at cricket rather than the West Indies as a boy.

“Waqar Younis was always my favourite bowler ever.”

He revealed his favourite Manchester United players are Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra – “Evra always gives his all.” and explained why he is wary of dating English women.

“All of a sudden I’m in the paper. Now I stay away from English ladies.”

Looking to life after athletics, Bolt insisted he had no interest in coaching or going into politics but would welcome the chance to become a father.

“Hopefully I’ll have a family, so I’ll be running behind my kids and just enjoying life – taking care of them, teaching them the lessons I’ve learned throughout life,” he said.

“I’ll definitely do a lot of charity. Not coaching, not politics. I’ve stressed my coach out, I’ve seen other athletes stress my coach out. Definitely not politics – I stay as far as possible away from politics.

“It’s not going to bother me when I retire, I’ll be fine with that. I just want to be remembered as one of the greats and I’ll be fine.” (BBC)