Anxieties grow, but Bolt says ‘sport needs me’ 85 Russians banned from Rio thus far
London — Whatever controversy is raging in the Olympic world, there’s one constant: Usain Bolt’s bravado and self-confidence.
It’s what is expected from the world’s fastest man and greatest showman.
“I know the sport needs me to win — and come out on top,” Bolt asserts, assessing the damage caused by the Russian doping scandal that has divided sports leaders.
As for his pursuit of an Olympic treble next month, Bolt adamantly responds: “I’m not going to lose one of the golds, for sure.”
In his last lengthy media appointment before heading to Rio de Janeiro, Bolt spent around two hours over a Jamaican lunch last week in London, discussing his Olympic challenge prospects and the challenges of life.
When letting his guard down does Bolt sounded less invincible. Weighing on the Jamaican sprinter’s mind is the fear of hitting 30 next month, the toll of injuries — and even being caught up in an extremist attack.
“It is scary,” said Bolt, adopting a rare subdued tone. “But if you live scared, you don’t live at all. So I try to live my life to the fullest and when it’s my time, it’s my time.”
Bolt recalls being in Munich as news emerged of the truck attack in the French city of Nice on Bastille Day — July 14 — that killed 84 people. Munich was itself the scene of bloodshed last week with a teenager shot dead nine people.
Bolt usually goes to Munich every three months to visit his doctor, Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt.
“Especially at the start of last year I noticed that injuries take a little bit more time to get back to where you want to be,” Bolt said. “My coach always tells me that the older you get it’s going to get harder, and you have to push yourself.”
But coach Glenn Mills also offered him comforting reassurance Bolt still craves, despite being the 100- and 200-meter world record holder.
Bolt remembers Mills telling him “don’t worry you’re a champ” at the world championships last year.
It was “one of the roughest years,” Bolt said, explaining how his back issue “has really deteriorated over the years.”
Bolt’s preparations for the defense of his Olympic titles (100, 200 and 4x100-meter relay) have been far from smooth, with a hamstring injury forcing him out of the Jamaican trials.
“I always have little doubts in my mind,” Bolt said in a restaurant overlooking London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. “But I’m focused and ready to go.”
Moscow — At least 85 athletes from the 387-strong Russian Olympic team announced last week have so far been barred from the Rio Games in connection with the country’s doping scandal.
International federations in canoeing and modern pentathlon ruled out seven on Tuesday, including an Olympic gold medalist, following earlier rulings in swimming and rowing. Some appeals are likely.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Putin had discussed the doping issue with his national security council.
“The topic of the recent International Olympic Committee ruling relating to Russian athletes was raised ahead of Putin’s planned meeting tomorrow with the Russian Olympic team,” Peskov was quoted as saying.
The vast majority of the Russian athletes who miss out are in track and field, where 67 athletes were ruled out when a ban on the Russian team was upheld at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.
More are falling foul of new rules imposed in the wake of the country’s doping scandal.
While Russia avoided a blanket ban from the International Olympic Committee, it has lost several medal contenders to new IOC rules imposed Sunday banning Russia from entering athletes who previously doped.
Alexander Dyachenko, an Olympic champion in 2012, was among five canoeists ruled out after being named in a recent report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren alleging a state-sponsored doping cover-up.
McLaren’s report last week specifically detailed how Russian state officials allegedly intervened to cover up hundreds of failed drug tests.
Dyachenko won gold in the men’s double kayak 200 meters at the 2012 London Games.
“The ICF will continue its strong zero-tolerance stance and remove all athletes that contravene its rules in anyway,” said Simon Toulson, the International Canoe Federation’s general secretary. “If you step out of line you won’t make the start line.”
The four other banned canoeists are Alexei Korovashkov — a 2012 bronze medalist in the C2 1,000 meters event — Andrei Kraitor, Elena Anyushina and Nataliya Podolskaya.
The ICF also said that Russia would not be allowed to enter boats in four events in which the excluded athletes would have raced. Therefore, Austria, Germany, Sweden and Iran are in line to receive their places.
Meanwhile, the International Modern Pentathlon Union named the two Russians it had suspended as Maxim Kustov and Ilya Frolov, saying they both featured in the McLaren report.