AGENCIES
RIO DE JANEIRO
Sprinter Usain Bolt has confirmed he will retire after this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro despite calls to prolong his career.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist suggested in January that he could continue competing until the 2020 Games in Tokyo on the advice of his coach Glen Mills, Xinhua reported. But the Jamaican Sprinter said success in Rio would leave him with little reason to continue at the elite level.
“It will definitely be my last Olympics,” the 29- year-old said, adding, “It is going to be hard to go four more years for me, to keep the motivation that I want, especially if I accomplish what I want to in Rio.
“It is going to be hard to keep the motivation going for four more years so it will definitely be my last one.”
Bolt won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the London 2012 Games in a repeat of his performances in Beijing four years earlier. He is determined to extend his dominance in his three favorite events this August, with an extra focus on the 200m.
“My biggest dream at the Olympics is to win three gold medals again, that is my focus and it is what I want. That is my goal and that is my dream,” he said.
Despite holding the world record of 19.19 seconds for the 200m Bolt believes he has unfinished business in the event. “I have said the only big thing, big time I want to run is the 200 metres,” he said. “I would love to try to go sub-19. that is the only thing I would really want because that is one of my goals and it is is something I look forward to.”
