Mon | May 11, 2026

IAAF president reminds Bolt of his responsibility

Published:Tuesday | May 19, 2009 | 1:50 PM

Beijing Olympic triple gold medallist Usain Bolt was reminded of his responsibility as a champion by Lamine Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).



Bolt won three gold medals in Beijing last year, all in world record times, but has made off the track headlines since then by being photographed in nightclubs, talking about marijuana use and crashing his car last month.



Diack says he has spoken to the 22 year old Jamaican sprinter about the extra pressure he would face following his stunning performances in Beijing last August.



Bolt also broke Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey\'s time in the rarely run 150 metres on Sunday in a street race in Manchester, England.



Diack praised his performance in England but says he doesn\'t expect street races to become a trend.



Meanwhile, Diack says the IAAF now has a three year sponsorship deal with Samsung. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Diack says the agreement followed six years of talks with the Korean electronics company.



The deal covers this summer\'s World Championships in Berlin, the 2010 world indoors in Doha, Qatar, and the 2011 world outdoors in Daegu, South Korea.