Usain Bolt has confirmed his intention to retire after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics once he has completed his plan to become a ‘living legend’ over the next three years.
Bolt, the world record holder over the 100m, 200m and 4x100m and 2008 and 2012 Olympic Champion in all three events, has set his sights on breaking his own 200m world record in 2014.
“The 100m world record is the hardest to break because it is more technical,” he said. “In the 200m, if I can master the bend and stay injury-free, there is room for improvement.”
Although he has yet to draw up his schedule for 2014, he has confirmed that if fit and ready he will be aiming to win his first Commonwealth title in Glasgow next summer.
“If I ‘m in great shape and I go there and do what I have to do, I think it would be a good time to retire on top and having dominated for so long,” Bolt claimed.
Whilst there is no global championships next year, Bolt will not make the mistake he made in the last non-championship year in 2010 when he cut back on his pre-season training and paid the price by suffering a back injury midway through the summer.
“If I want to continue to dominate on the track, I can’t afford an off season,” he said. “That is a lesson that I’ve learnt. Now that I’m getting a bit older, I know that I have to stay injury-free, maintain focus and act responsibly.”
Bolt admitted that he was finding it hard motivate himself earlier in the season to continue his domination of the sport after taking three gold medals at London 2012.
“I couldn ‘t find that goal, that drive to get going again,” Bolt admitted. “I sat down and thought to myself ‘what do I really want? And what can I do in this sport some more?’
“I ‘ve made up my mind that if I want to be among the greats of Ali, Pele and all these guys I have to continue dominating until I retire.
“I ‘m really focused on getting every season correct, trying not to get injured, and just continue dominating so at the end of my career people will put me among the greats.”
