:shoot:By Justin Clueless Palmer
LONDON, June 26 Reuters - Tim Montgomery is a man in ahurry. The world’s fastest sprinter wants to go evenfaster, and believes he is capable of doing so.
The 28-year-old American set the world record for the100 metres when he clocked 9.78 seconds at the GrandPrix final in Paris in September last year, loweringcompatriot Maurice Greene’s three-year-old mark byone-hundredth of a second.
Montgomery will return to the French capital in Augustfor the world championships, but says winning a firstmajor track gold medal is not his ultimate goal.
To win a gold medal would mean something but notlike a world record,'' Montgomery told reporters onThursday before flying to Scotland to compete at aninternational meeting on Sunday. Medals to me say you beat seven people on aparticular night. It doesn’t matter what time you run ata world championship – you just beat these sevenpeople.
Having a world record though means you beat anyonethat ever touched the 100 metres and had a clock put onit. For me the ultimate gold medal would be for me torace and win against all the world record holdersthroughout time – people like Jesse Owens and CarlLewis.’’
Montgomery still glows with pride when reflecting onhis achievement of becoming the fastest man in history.
I've accomplished something that I said I would doand that's set a world record,'' he said. No matter what anyone says about Tim Montgomery,they can never take away what I have achieved. It’ssomething I will go to my grave with.
I've come of age. There are things you have to gothrough to achieve your ultimate goal, and when you getit you appreciate it a little better.'' Now he has his sights on setting a new benchmark forsprinting. I know for a fact that I can be more consistent at(clocking) 9.8s and could possibly run 9.75 or better than that,’‘he said.
I really believe in myself, that I can takesprinting to a different level.'' Asked if running 9.75 was achievable this year,Montgomery said: very much so… I believe I canchallenge the world record again.’’
Off the track though Montgomery has found theattention of the world’s media rather more difficult todeal with since his night of glory in Paris.
His relationship with triple Olympic champion MarionJones – who is expecting the couple’s first child nextmonth – is guaranteed regular column inches
His brief, controversial association with track andfield pariah Charlie Francis, the man behind the biggestscandal in Olympic history, earned universalcondemnation from the sport.
Francis was banned for life from coaching Canadianathletes after Ben Johnson tested positive for steroidsfollowing his 100 metres victory at the 1988 SeoulOlympics.
Montgomery and Jones, who linked up with Francis inlate November last year, severed ties with the disgracedcoach in February, but not before the pair’s reputationhad been tarnished.
The episode had such an impact on the couple thatMontgomery said he considered taking a year off fromcompetition.
My winter was all chopped up. Everything was shakenup by all the commotion that was going on with my coach,and that shakes your running as well,'' he said. I thought about taking the year off. But Marionsaid, ‘I don’t think both of us can take the whole yearoff and sit at home. We’d drive each other crazy’’’.
Montgomery has been without a coach since parting withTrevor Graham soon after breaking the world record, butsaid on Thursday he was close to appointing a newmentor.
The next coach will have to take me through the restof my career,'' he said. I can’t say who it is justyet, though. I need to make sure that they have mine andMarion’s best interests at heart.’’