BEIJING, Aug 5 AFP - Jamaica’s world 100m record holder Usain Bolt touched down in China today apparently unaware that he will be going for an Olympic sprint double.
Despite agent Norman Peart and coach Glen Mills both having confirmed this week that Bolt would race the 100m and 200m in Beijing, the sprinter seemed genuinely in the black when informed of his likely schedule.
It's not exactly decided,'' Bolt initially told reporters when asked if he was ready for an assault on the sprint double. I’m 80 per cent sure. My coach hasn’t really told me.’’
When told that coach Mills had indeed confirmed that he was to double up, Bolt was momentarily thrown before saying: He didn't actually communicate that to me. It’s the first miscommunication I’ve had with my coach. I hope it doesn’t happen again,’’ he said, adding that Mills was a like a second father'' to him. The 21-year-old Bolt is seeking to become the Caribbean's first 100m champion since Trinidad's Hasely Crawford in 1976, but is also one of the firm favourites for the 200m. Bolt surprised everyone by breaking the 100m world record set by compatriot Asafa Powell, running 9.72 seconds in New York on May 31. Powell rebounded to beat Bolt in last month's meet in Stockholm - their last before the Olympics, and the Jamaican duo will face stiff opposition from the American trio of reigning double sprint champion Tyson Gay, Walter Dix and Wallace Spearmon. Meanwhile the International Olympic Committee lauded Michael Johnson for voluntarily returning his gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics following the admission of doping by US teammate Antonio Pettigrew. The IOC formally stripped the entire team of their medals on Saturday because Pettigrew testified during the trial of his former coach in May that he was using performance-enhancing drugs at the time of the Sydney Games. Johnson, who anchored the relay team in Sydney for the fifth and final gold of his Olympic career, had already returned the medal after Pettigrew's confession. IOC vice president Thomas Bach, head of the committee's legal commission, said Johnson also sent a very fair and very strong statement that he constitutes this medal as being unfairly won’’.
This is a rally good expression of fair play,'' Bach said. We appreciate this very much.’’
Pettigrew has also returned his medal. The other squad members were twins Alvin and Calvin Harrison, Jerome Young and Angelo Taylor.