Bolt in better shape, looking forward to World Championships

In the finals of the sprint relays at the London Olympics in 2012 and again at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year, Usain Bolt got the baton almost even with the anchors for the United States' Ryan Bailey and England's Danny Talbot, respectively.

In both instances, the sprint champion pulled away from the respective anchormen to win convincingly.

On Saturday, the University of Technology's (UTech's) Tyquendo Tracey proved a different challenge.

Anchorman Tracey got the baton nearly 10 metres ahead of Bolt and the 'Lightning' man failed to catch him, as Bolt's Racers team was upset in the sprint relay for institutions at the Gibson McCook Relays at the National Stadium.

UTech won in 38.23 seconds to Racers' 38.29.

areas to work on

While he was happy with the race, Bolt said he identified some of what he needs to work on as he prepares to defend his titles at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Beijing, China.

"I was happy with the result. It's always good to get back to the track to get some work in to see what it takes to get back on track. You always try to win every race, but what I got from it is that I need more leg power," he said.

He revealed that he is in better shape than he was last year when injury forced him to miss most of the season, but concedes that he needs to get a lot more done if he is to perform to his usual standards in China.

"I think I am getting there. I am not perfect yet. I am in better shape than last season, but I need a lot more work. My coach will now decide what else I need to focus on," he said.

From a more personal point of view, Bolt said he is watching his diet more closely these days and trying to get as much rest as he can, as he approaches 29 this summer when he goes for another set of gold medals and enhancing his already legendary status as the greatest sprinter of all time.

motivation

One thing he doesn't lack is motivation. In his earlier years he was driven by the desire to be the best ever. The motivation this time round comes from how he feels about the way people talked about him when he was out of action for most of last season.

"That is my biggest motivation, the fact that people were talking about me like I wasn't even running again," he admitted.

"For me, I will just keep working hard, continue working like I always do and bounce back, and show the world that for me it's never over," he said.