Bolt goes below 10 seconds

MONACO • Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt insists he is on the right path as he targets the defence of his 100m crown at next month's World Championships in London.

In his swansong season, the 30-year-old has struggled to light up the track.

In his outings over the blue- riband event this season, Bolt had clocked 10.03sec in Kingston and 10.06 in Ostrava before finally dipping under the 10sec barrier at Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco.

A season's best of 9.95sec to win at a packed out 17,000-capacity Stade Louis II was just the tonic, the towering Jamaican said of his second appearance in Europe in his farewell season.

"I'm going in the right direction, although there is still a lot of work to do," he said.

"Running sub-10 is always good. It was an exciting race, there was lots of energy."

As in Ostrava, Bolt suffered a sluggish start before opening up and easing through the line ahead of American Isiah Young by 0.03sec. South Africa's Akani Simbine was third in 10.02sec.

Bolt, winner of eight Olympic and 11 world gold medals, will bring down the curtain on his glittering career at next month's World Championships in London.

"I'm planning to chill with my family after London," he said.

"And my plan after this season? I'm not sure."

Monaco's Prince Albert II presented the Jamaican with a giant golden figure of Hercules after video clips of his medal-winning career were shown on the stadium's big screens following his victory.

That came after Bolt had delighted hordes of screaming fans by joining in a synchronised cheerleading dance, which ended with his trademark pose.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 23, 2017, with the headline Bolt goes below 10 seconds. Subscribe