As he works to return from injuries, Bolt focuses on 200 metres

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic — Usain Bolt is not worried by Justin Gatlin’s fast times and is using this season to get into shape ahead of the world championship in Beijing after his injuries last season.

The Jamaican great was talking Sunday in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava, two days before he runs the 200 metres at the Golden Spike meet.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist said his focus this season was “on trying to get back into shape, get a lot of races on my belt” before the world championships in August.

Tuesday’s event will be his second 200 after clocking 20.20 seconds in Jamaica in April.

Bolt said he was feeling better than a month ago and that his coach expects a fast time in Ostrava.

“I’m in much better shape, I’ve been working harder,” Bolt said. “(My coach) is very happy with the progress I’ve been making.”

Bolt previously said his goal remained to break his own 200 world record of 19.19, set in 2009.

“I’ve never really thought about the 100 that much after running 9.58,” Bolt said about his world record.

“The 200’s my favourite event. I really focus on trying to run faster over 200. My aim is always gonna be the 200 metres. That’s one of the biggest goals of my life.”

Coming off injuries, Bolt said he needed to focus on his technique “to make sure everything is fine tuned” and he had even “started eating better” as part of the process.

“My start is always crap as everybody knows, I still have to work on that. The 200 metres, it’s just work on little things on the corner and coming out of the corner and dropping my shoulders. I’m just trying to get everything together, leading up to the world championship.”

In Bolt’s absence, Gatlin was the fastest man in the world last season over both 100 and 200, and ran even faster in the Diamond League opener in Doha, Qatar, clocking a world leading 9.74 in his first 100 of 2015.

Bolt said it was good for the sport that others had fast times but was not worried.

“For me the aim is to get to the world championship ... I live for challenges, I live for championships. And that’s my focus.”

ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/The Associated Press files Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, left, crosses the finish line ahead of Justin Gatlin during a race in Moscow. Bolt, winner of six Olympic gold medals, is focused on getting back in shape and running some races before this season’s world championships in Beijing.