Bolt giving up on 200m record quest

‘ This season is pretty much for the fans’

MONACO • The world’s fastest man is slowing down.

Usain Bolt again said he doesn’t plan to run the 200 metres in his final season, realizing that his world record of 19.19 seconds is now likely beyond him.

Speaking Friday in Monaco before the IAAF athlete of the year awards, the 30- year- old Bolt said he thought he could dip under the 19- second barrier at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But coming off the bend in the final, he felt his legs didn’t have a record-beating performance in them.

“After last season, I kind of figured out that no matter how hard I work at this point, it probably is going to be hard to get the 200-metre world record,” Bolt said. “And it’s a lot more work and for me, coming to the end of my career, I’m not trying to do too much work.”

He also didn’t sound optimistic about breaking his 100- metre record of 9.58, either.

“If I can go through my season — which I doubt — without any injuries, then anything is possible,” he said.

Bolt ruled out a return for the 2020 Tokyo Games. The nine- time Olympic champion said his coach has told him, “‘ Do not retire and come back to the sport, don’t ever do that.’ ... So you have got to make sure you are sure.”

“Not to brag or anything, but a lot of people at 30 haven’t accomplished what I’ve accomplished so, for me, I think I’ve done all I wanted to,” Bolt said.

He made it clear that his last season would be more of a farewell tour than a final drive for more records. He’s targeting a few races in his favourite places: he mentioned Ostrava, Lausanne and Paris.

“This season is pretty much mainly for the fans,” Bolt said. “A lot of people always wanted to see me compete and haven’t had the chance.”

There are some things he is certain he won’t be doing: ❚He ruled out playing American football, saying he doesn’t want to get hit. ❚ He also ruled out switching to bobsled, like American hurdler Lolo Jones, saying “anybody who knows me knows I don’t do well with cold.” ❚ And there is zero chance that he will challenge 800- metre Olympic champion David Rudisha to a race over 400 metres.

“That won’t happen,” Bolt said. “Not even for charity.”

Bolt said his immediate plans in retirement are “pretty much to do nothing.”

“No more training. I don’t have to go to the track unless I want to,” he said.

Bolt pinpointed the world championships in 2007 as a turning point in his career. After placing second behind Tyson Gay in the 200, Bolt’s coach told him to get serious.

“‘ You’re slacking off in the gym. If you want to win you have to get stronger,’ ” Bolt said he was told. “From then on, I just took the step and worked.”

The next year, he won the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay at the Beijing Olympics. He repeated those feats in London and Rio.

Bolt thinks he could have done even better had he knuckled down earlier.

“I was asked the question earlier what would I have told my 14-year-old self, and I thought it would be definitely to get serious quicker,” Bolt said.