World record sprinter Usain Bolt is hoping for a fresh start to the season in Rome this week after a disappointing showing in the Cayman Islands, where, despite winning, he ran only 10.09 seconds in the 100m; his slowest time in the finals of an event since joining the senior circuit.
“I did have a bad performance but we went back to the drawing board and worked out everything. We figured out what went wrong. I’m confident now,” Bolt told the Daily Record on Tuesday. “It’s a long season. Last season started badly also, so I’m just going to keep working.”
Bolt’s season has also been slowed by a mild hamstring strain that kept him out of his home meet in Kingston. He was replaced in the race by top rival Tyson Gay, who went on to run a world’s best for the season, winning in 9.86 seconds.
“My hamstring is much, much better now,” Bolt explained. “I’m training hard and hopefully everything this season will continue to be good... I’m looking forward to going out there and doing my best.”
Bolt is aiming for his third straight win in Rome, after taking the title in 9.91 seconds in 2011, and 9.76 seconds after a similarly slow start to last season, which ended with three more golds at the Olympics.
The six-time gold medalist top competition this week will be Athens gold and London bronze medalist Justin Gatlin, who ran a wind-aided 9.88 seconds last weekend in Oregon at the Prefontaine Classic, and Gatlin’s American teammate Mike Rodgers, who came in at 9.94 seconds in the same race.
“I never worry about one athlete,” Bolt said. “The big championship is always the big thing or me. He’s done a lot this season already but for me it’s when you show up and show that you’re the best at the big championships and that’s what I do, so I’m not really worried.”
