BRIDGETOWN, Barbados
(CMC): Jamaican sprint wizard Usain Bolt says he has resumed training and is already eyeing the defence of his titles at the World Championships in South Korea this August.
The 24-year-old mega star suffered a back injury that forced him to call a premature end to his season last August, but said he had received a clean bill of health and was now working closely with coach Glen Mills as he prepares for the new season.
“I’m already back in training and recently (went to see) Dr Müller-Wohlfahrt in Munich,” Bolt told the German newspaper World Online.
“He confirmed to me that everything looks good. I have no more problems, my muscles feel great, my back is in tip-top shape. I’m on the right track.”
Bolt cut short his season just a week after a shock defeat to American Tyson Gay, his first 100 metres loss in more than two years. The layoff forced him to miss Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels.
He will defend his sprint titles at the upcoming World Championships, where he is expected to see stiff competition, especially from Gay who is back to his best after overcoming injury that plagued him in recent years.
Bolt, the Olympic champion in both sprints, said winning in South Korea would be crucial, especially ahead of London 2012.
“The World Championships in Daegu 2011 is important to me,” he pointed out.
“If I lose there, that would mean extra pressure for me (at) the Olympic Games a year later. If I win, it would (give me back) a lot of confidence. That’s my goal.”
The World Championships, which runs from August 27 to September 4, is expected to attract major global attention following on Berlin two years ago when Bolt produced stunning new records.
Bolt, who has kept up a hectic schedule in recent months with sponsorship events and the promotion of his new autobiography, said he was still trying to iron out kinks in his technique.
“Definitely, my start is still not as consistent as it should be. This is the key for me,” he stressed.
