Borzov says Lemaitre not ready to race Bolt, Gay
By Paul Logothetis, AP Sports Writer
BARCELONA, Spain — Three-time European gold medalist Christophe Lemaitre is not ready to race against Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay, according to former Olympic champion Valery Borzov.
The 20-year-old Lemaitre became the first sprinter to win three golds at the European Championships after 100, 200 and 4x100 relay victories, but Borzov isn’t convinced just yet.
“He’s young and he’s strong but I’m a little skeptical,” Borzov said before Sunday’s 4x100 race. “He needs to get to 9.60 (seconds) and it’s not possible now, maybe only in a few years. I’m not sure he can compete with the Americans or Jamaicans.”
Borzov won the 100 and 200 at the 1972 Munich Olympics for the former Soviet Union and is a four-time gold medalist at the Europeans.
Lemaitre gained his third medal by running the second leg of France’s winning relay team at Barcelona’s Olympic stadium.
“This third gold medal carries more importance for me. We worked very hard for it,” Lemaitre said. "It’s a beautiful gold and the most precious.
“It was important for me to have done everything I could have done.”
Lemaitre won the 100 in 10.11 seconds and the 200 in 20.37 in Barcelona. Bolt’s world records in those two events are 9.58 and 20.13. Gay has the world’s second fastest 100 time of 9.69.
“It’s too early to think about (challenging Bolt or Gay),” relay teammate Martial Mbandjock said. “We are just thinking about ourselves and about improving <emdash /> that’s a big war in itself.”
Mbandjock, who also won bronze in the 100 and 200, praised the current generation of French sprinters.
“We’re still young, especially Christophe, so he will improve every day, every month, every year,” Mbandjock said. “It’s wonderful to have a really young generation, so fast and so strong. We are going to do better next year and in the next couple of years.”
Former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe didn’t expect Bolt or Gay to dismiss Lemaitre, whose personal best is 9.98.
“They won’t be laughing because competition at the highest level is not just about times,” said Coe, who twice won 1,500 meters Olympic gold and is the head of the London 2012 Olympics organizing committee. “Lemaitre is 20, he has two very good training years and competitive years in front of him. He has to be quicker. It would be very surprising if he was slower in two years’ time than he is now.”
Lemaitre helped France achieve a record eight golds and 18 medals overall.
“We brought (Lemaitre) here in the best possible shape and it worked out,” said Gahni Yalouz, France’s technical director of athletics. “Everyone’s medal is important on the way to London (2012).”
