ROME // The Jamaican triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt believes he can take the 100 metres world record down to 9.58 seconds and go below 19 seconds in the 200 metres. Bolt set new marks of 9.69 and 19.30 seconds to win the 100m and 200m titles respectively in August in Beijing, where he was also part of Jamaica's victorious 100m relay team. "I've heard my coach (Glen Mills) talk of 9.58 seconds as a possible time (in the 100m) and I believe him," Bolt, 22, told La Gazzetta dello Sport after being named the Italian daily's male Sports Personality of the Year.
"He also said that it could be possible for me to go under 19 seconds in the 200m. Glen knows what he's talking about and I believe him." Bolt confirmed that he would probably race 400 metres in the future, but would not be pinned down on when. He also said he expected renewed competition in the new year from his compatriot and former world record holder Asafa Powell and America's Tyson Gay, who failed to reach the Olympic 100m final.
"I expect Gay to seek to come back and Asafa to try to go faster than ever," he said. "I won't have life easy but that makes it more fun for me." Bolt beat the American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won an unprecedented eight gold medals and set seven world records in Beijing, into second place to claim Gazzetta's top athlete award, while the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal came third. The daily named Yelena Isinbayeva, who soared 5.05 metres to set her 24th world record in winning the Olympic pole vault, female Sports Personality of Year.
*Reuters
