http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Usain Bolt: I'm lazy... but I will run 100m in 9.4 seconds
By Arindam Rej
Last updated at 11:56 AM on 4th September 2010
DAILY MAIL
Being the fastest man in the world isn’t enough for Usain Bolt. He wants to be the next Michael Jordan. Oh, and a worldwide restaurant chain owner, too.
They are pretty lofty ambitions for a man who calls himself ‘lazy’. And before he does all that, he’s got a few aims left in the world of sprinting.
One of them is to send his world 100metres record of 9.58sec tumbling down to 9.4sec - the figure that he feels is the lowest possible time that any human being can manage.
Going for gold: Usain Bolt shocked the world at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with record-breaking performances
These are exhilarating times for Bolt. It’s no wonder he thinks the world is at his feet - a mere size 13, in case you were wondering.
He believes this is the most exciting era in the history of sprinting. And his own success has helped make it such a golden period.
Bolt will be the star attraction when the Olympics come to these shores in two years with audiences eagerly anticipating more shows of his iconic celebration.
When he meets Sportsmail, he is wearing a T-shirt with a picture of his famous pose emblazoned on it.
‘It’s on my clothing line,’ he explains enthusiastically. ‘I look at it (the celebration) as a chance to reach out. Michael Jordan also has his own sign. His brand is a big brand and hopefully my brand can become as big.
'I want to do as much as I can in my sport, and for my sport, and then go into business. I’ve just started a restaurant chain in Jamaica and I’m trying to bring it to different places.’
Ambitious: Bolt has plenty of plans outside sprinting too, including a clothing line and a restaurant chain
True, his instantly recognisable celebration is distinctive and globally renowned. It’s a brilliant marketing tool. But he must get sick of performing the pose, though?
‘They always ask me to do it. It depends on what mood I’m in. I think it’s really silly that, if you do it once, then everybody wants you to do it for them,’ he says, before adding with a laugh: ‘It’s kind of tiring to keep doing the pose all day.’
His wide grin is symbolic of his easy-going manner. Bolt is a triple world and Olympic gold medallist. But sitting alongside him on a sofa and chatting feels like being next to any other laid-back, fun-loving 24-year-old.
Bolt’s body language suggests, ironically, that he’s a man in no hurry. Physically, he is imposing - muscular and 6ft 5in. But he is every inch a gentle giant - smiling, joking and engaging in conversation.
His charm was apparent at his book signing in London when punters queued for nearly two hours before the start time.
He’s not afraid to make big statements either, which shows when he speaks about 100m records.
Thunder bolt: Bolt broke his own record from Beijing when he ran 9.58secs World in Berlin
‘I would say it can go to 9.4 and I hope that I’m the person that can bring it there. Anything is possible. A lot of people didn’t think that I’d come along. So you never know. When you least expect it, people can pop up.’
With Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell beating him in the last two years, Bolt has hailed the intense competition by claiming this era is the most exciting ever. He backed up his case by referring to the depth of sprinting talent around these days.
‘Look at my fellow Jamaicans. Nesta Carter just ran 9.8. Yohan Blake ran 9.8. (Frenchman) Christophe Lemaitre became the first white guy to run under 10 seconds. It shows that the competition is really stepping up.’
You can reel off as many other names as you like but sadly, Usain, you’re always going to get asked about Gay and Powell. Then again, he doesn’t seem to mind the media hype that surrounds his battles with the two.
‘It’s fun,’ says Bolt. ‘It’s good for the sport when you guys focus on what people want to see. Sport is boring when there is no competition.
Write caption here
‘Back in the day, people used to play mind games - but it’s more about competition now. We play mind games a little bit, but not so much. Me and Asafa are really very good friends. We talk a lot. We are fellow Jamaicans so we are cool. Me and Tyson just talk in competition when we see each other.
‘Your relationship with other athletes depends on your personality. It’s cool to have friends in athletics. I’m cool with anybody.’
‘Cool’ is a word that defines Bolt’s outlook on life.
‘I was pretty lazy but I’ve learned over the years that you can’t be lazy if you want to be the best at your sport,’ he says. ‘I’m still lazy - with the fact that I can’t be bothered to do things sometimes - but I get it done because I still want to be the best.’
When asked about the sensitive issue of drugs, Bolt says: ‘It’s frustrating when the drugs thing comes up. But when you ask me about it I understand why, because the sport has been through so much with people in the past. It’s up to me to show that you can run fast and clean.
‘I’ve done so many great things in my time. I can’t say “oh, if only I had done this”. I’ve run 9.58 (in 100m) and I’ve run 19.1 (in 200m). Nobody has done that before. You can’t really ask for more.’
*Usain Bolt: 9.58 (HarperSport, £20)
