Confident Bolt focuses on defending World, Olympic titles

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (AP):

Coming off a narrow victory in his highly anticipated return to the track last week, Usain Bolt is focused on retaining his World and Olympic titles, which he says would make him a legend.

Bolt is scheduled to run the 100-metre race at the 50th edition of the Golden Spike meet today (at 1:20 p.m. Jamaica time) as he prepares himself for the August 27-September 4 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

"It's very important to me - these two coming years are going to make me a legend," the three-time Olympic champion said yesterday. "I'll be working hard. I'll be trying to get back into form the rest of the season. I'm really focused and I'm ready to work hard."

The Jamaican will compete for the fifth time at the Ostrava meet, which is part of the new IAAF World Challenge series, and for a second time in the 100-metre event. He won in a wind-assisted 9.77 seconds in 2009.

"Competition-wise, I am feeling better and confident after my last race. I'm ready to run as fast as possible," Bolt said.

relaxed

Bolt said he wanted to improve on his time of 9.91 seconds at the Golden Gala meet in Rome, when he narrowly beat former record-holder Asafa Powell.

"Now, I'm really much, much more relaxed, much, much more focused," Bolt said.

Bolt had not competed since he was defeated by Tyson Gay in Stockholm last August, snapping the Jamaican's two-year unbeaten streak. He then ended his season because of back and Achilles' tendon problems.

"It was just a really bad race," Bolt said. "I'd never been nervous for about four years. It was something new for me. I got through it and that's the most important (thing) for me. Now, I'm ready to move on."

At the Golden Spike, Bolt will face fellow Jamaican Steve Mullings, who holds this year's best time of 9.89.

"Steve Mullings has been improving over the years," Bolt said. 'He's a very talented athlete and I'm really looking (forward) to it. It should be a great race.'

Bolt has broken the 100 record three times, the last in 9.58 at the 2009 Worlds in Berlin. He also holds the 200 world record and won the 300 at last year's event in 30.97 seconds, though rainy conditions prevented him from challenging the mark of 30.85 set in 2000 by Michael Johnson in Pretoria, South Africa.

Bolt is committed to several European meets this summer, including events in Oslo, Monaco and Paris, before defending his 100 and 200 world titles in Daegu.

Double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius of South Africa will make his Golden Spike debut as part of his efforts to qualify for Worlds and the 2012 London Olympics.

Pistorius needs to run a personal-best 45.25 seconds in the 400.

"I believe I've taken my training to another level," said Pistorius, who ran 45.61 in South Africa in March, adding that he hopes "to run under 46 tomorrow night, and just to enjoy the race and get as much experience as possible."