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December 17, 2008 Wednesday
Updated
Dec 17, 2008
Bolt eyes world 400M mark
World 100m, 200m record-holder will try to break Johnson's standard in 2010
LONDON: The world's fastest man over 100 and 200 metres is eyeing the 400m mark as well.

Usain Bolt, the world record-holder over 100m and 200m, says he is tempted to have a go at the nine-year-old 400m record held by Michael Johnson.

'Everyone wants to do it. There are no major championships in 2010, so I could go for the 400m record that year,' the Jamaican told BBC's Inside Sport.

'The training for 400m is so much harder but I'm thinking about it.'

On Sunday, he was named as the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year after his feats in Beijing, where he became Olympic champion over 100m and 200m.

In the latter, he shattered Johnson's 12-year-old world record with a time of 19.30 seconds.

Johnson's 400m world record of 43.18sec was set at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, in August 1999.

There are many who think that Bolt is not making an empty boast. He was previously better known as a 200m runner and, at 1.96m, he was not thought to be physically suited for the shorter sprint.

In fact, his coach Glen Mills had initially wanted him to make the 400m his primary event. Bolt, however, said he was capable of the shorter sprints.

And how, as the Beijing Olympics - where he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay - proved.

Turning to his Olympic exploits, Bolt said: 'If you go out there worrying about if you are going to mess up, you mess up.

'There are better starters than me but I'm a strong finisher. I knew I had won the race at 75m, so that's when I started celebrating.

'I didn't care about the time. I didn't even realise that I had broken the world record until a photographer asked me to stand beside the clock for a photo.'

He added that he would not stop showboating despite criticism from Olympic International Committee president Jacques Rogge.

In Beijing, Bolt had started celebrating even before the 100m had finished. He rewrote the record books with a 9.69sec victory.

He said: 'Footballers celebrate when they score goals, it is normal to be happy. I wasn't aiming for a world record, only to win the race.

'I was the first Jamaican man to win the Olympic Games 100m, it was a big deal.

'I like to enjoy myself and the fans seem to like it too, so I will continue to be myself at all times.'

AGENCE-FRANCE PRESSE


Athletes with more than one world mark

Carl Lewis (USA)

100m (9.86sec, set Aug 25, 1991), indoor long jump (9.79m, Jan 27, 1984)

Michael Johnson (USA)

200m (19.32sec, Aug 1, 1996), 400m (43.18, Aug 26, 1999)

Hicham El Guerrouj (Mor)

1,500m (3min 26sec, July 14, 1998), mile (3:43.13, July 7, 1999)

Kenenisa Bekele (Eth)

5,000m (12:37.35, May 31, 2004), 10,000m (26:17.53, Aug 26, 2005)

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