Usain Bolt to target 200 metres world record at Rio Olympics

And, quietly, they expect him to win in a time somewhere around 19.8 sec – which is not to be sniffed at.

Bolt, however, is already looking beyond the run and towards his hugely anticipated clash with Justin Gatlin, whom he beat by 0.01 sec at the World Championships in Beijing previous year, when the American stumbled reaching for the line.

Bolt insisted he was never anxious his hamstring problem would rule him out of Rio.

“This year is not going to be the same, I’m in much better shape, so I won’t leave it to the last second”. “I am always excited to compete here in London; it’s going to be a lot of fun so I’m looking forward to it”.

There was also a subtle, but unmistakable, dig at Gatlin’s mental fortitude under pressure. “Its my first 200m of the season and I am definitely looking forward to a fast time”, Bolt said.

London provided similar morale-boosting this time past year when Bolt, whose season had been seriously undermined by a foot injury, arrived without a sub 20 second 200m or a sub 10 second 100m to his name all season. It was the first time he was actually being chased.

“I’m here to win”, he said. “It was hard for him”. “I have no issue right now”, Bolt said. The doctor did an extremely good job.

“I haven’t got the call yet, but I know it’s coming, I think he’s waiting until after the Olympics”, he said of a fanciful first-team call-up.

Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, the clean Bolt might be stripped of a Beijing 4x100m relay gold medal following the news that countryman Nesta Carter failed a drug tests. Then again, Bolt has five other Olympic gold medals in his medal cabinet.

“I have no big reaction to it, its sad but rules are rules. The crowd is always going to be great, one thing I really appreciate here is that the track is wonderful and it’s going to be a great competition”.

He’s already clocked the second-fastest 10,000m time in the world this year and he broke the British record for 3000m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham on June 5.

It comes after he had to pull out of the Jamaican trials three weeks ago because of a hamstring problem.

” I went to see the doctor to work his magic as always, I’m good, ” the 29-year-old told a packed press conference. “Why not do it on Edwards’ home soil?” “That is my mindset”.