Bolt returns to the scene of his triple Olympic sprint triumph at the London 2012 Games when he races over 100m in the Olympic Stadium on Friday (24), his first race since winning the New York 200m on 13 June, and his first 100m since running 10.12 in Rio de Janeiro on 19 April.<\/p>\n
Bolt has yet to break 10 seconds for the 100m this year, or go sub-20 for the 200m, and he withdrew from recent IAAF Diamond League meetings in Paris and Lausanne with a pelvic injury, fuelling speculation that his dominance of world sprinting may be about to end.<\/p>\n
But the 28-year-old said today that if he can get it right in London, he will know he\u2019s on the right track to add to his 14 global titles when he returns to the Bird\u2019s Nest stadium in August.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t really know how ready I am till tomorrow, but I\u2019ve been training really hard and working on what I need to work on,\u201d said Bolt. \u201cNow we\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow will give me momentum and focus going into the championships. It\u2019s all about executing my race. I\u2019m trying to get that right, and if I do I will be in good shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been doing a lot of work on my start. The first 40 metres of the 100m is most important because that is the weakest part for me. But if I get that right, I know there will be no issues because the last 60 metres is when I\u2019m always really strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of my races this season have been really poor. But I am looking forward to competition now. I\u2019ve been training really hard and pushing myself. It\u2019s all about taking one step at a time and getting the timing right for Beijing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolt admitted to being both \u201cexcited and a little nervous\u201d about returning to the stadium where he first stunned the world by winning three Olympic golds back in 2008, but insisted he has not lost his proven ability to be ready for the big championships \u2013 not just in the 100m, but the 200m as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI set the standard in Beijing, so I have to live up to the expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I\u2019m not in the best of shape, I will be nervous. But my coach isn\u2019t worried so I\u2019m not worried. He\u2019s confident, so I\u2019m confident. All I can do is work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to run more 100s. The 200m will come together if the first part of the race is good. This is what I\u2019ve been working on. I\u2019ve never thought about just running one event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about the threat from Justin Gatlin, this year\u2019s world leader at both events, who\u2019s gone 23 races unbeaten and dipped below 9.80 on four occasions, Bolt said: \u201cIt just takes one race to get to 9.7 so for me that doesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019m not worried about times.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it takes getting to the big moment to get focused and everyone knows I\u2019m always ready for the big championships. I know he\u2019s been doing well this season but everyone knows about me, I always show up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five other reigning Olympic champions also faced the media today, all of them hoping a return to the Olympic Stadium will inspire them towards their gold medal-winning form of three years ago.<\/p>\n
David Rudisha\u2019s world record-breaking 800m made him one of the stars of those Games, rivalled only on the track by Bolt. But the front-running Kenyan has been struggling to hit those heights ever since following a knee injury in 2013.<\/p>\n
At the Lausanne IAAF Diamond League meeting two weeks ago he was outkicked by Nijel Amos, the Olympic silver medallist, and the Botswanan will be his main rival at the Sainsbury\u2019s Anniversary Games.<\/p>\n
But Rudisha says he\u2019s been making \u201cgood improvements\u201d this year, and believes the London stadium will inspire him to improve on his season\u2019s best of 1:43.58.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy to be back on the track where I did very well in 2012,\u201d he said. \u201cSince then I\u2019ve not been back to my best form, but I\u2019m looking forward to a good race.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to say when I will return to my form from 2012 because of the problems I\u2019ve had. I\u2019ve been trying for the last two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve been making good improvements this year. Last year was very tough when I couldn\u2019t do any fast training sessions on the track, just longer sessions of 300m and 400m. This year I\u2019ve done some sessions of 100m to 150m, so at least that means I\u2019m improving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sprint hurdler Aries Merritt also enjoyed his best moments on the London track \u2013 which will be used for the last time this weekend before it\u2019s replaced for the 2017 IAAF World Championships. Merritt not only won Olympic gold in 2012, but dipped below 13 seconds 10 times, breaking the world record into the bargain.<\/p>\n
Like Rudisha, he\u2019s struggled to rediscover that form since and hasn\u2019t run sub-13 since breaking the world record with 12.80 at the end of 2013, but that\u2019s something he hopes to put right on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to build my confidence moving forwards to Beijing and hopefully I will do that by running sub-13 tomorrow,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m definitely glad to be back here where I won Olympic gold with the amazing crowd. I hope it will inspire me to go sub-13.\u201d<\/p>\n
Merritt blames his indifferent form partly on having to learn a new stride pattern to keep up with the trend for taking seven up to the first barrier.<\/p>\n
\u201cChanging your steps is like trying to write with your left hand when you\u2019re right handed,\u201d he said. \u201cBut because of the evolution of the event, I had to because every hurdler is doing seven steps these days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanya Richards-Ross also admitted she has been on \u201ca tough learning curve\u201d this season. The Olympic 400m champion will race over 200m on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d think after 15 years as a professional athlete I would have got it right by now, but I had to change my training this year and I think I over-trained,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m making some adjustments.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m really pleased to be back in London. I love the Olympic Stadium but I\u2019ll be doing the 200m this time for some speed work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renaud Lavillenie is also glad to be back in London where he not only won Olympic gold, but leapt over six metres at the Anniversary Games two years ago, an achievement he is confident of repeating tomorrow after winning the Monaco IAAF Diamond League meeting with 5.92m a week ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in really good shape in Monaco and was disappointed not to jump six metres,\u201d said the French world record-holder. \u201cBut two years ago I was in the same shape in Monaco and two weeks later I jumped 6.02m in London, so I\u2019m really excited about what I can do tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie Adams continues her \u201clong and rocky road\u201d back from last year\u2019s operations in the stadium where she won shot put gold in 2012. Now the New Zealander is looking for \u201ccompetition fitness\u201d as she rebuilds towards the Rio Olympics next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to be back. I love competing here,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was always a risk coming back from surgery, but I want to make sure I\u2019m in the best shape for next year, which is most important for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe World Championships is important but I\u2019ve won that four times, so Rio is the bigger goal. I\u2019m making ends meet for now, but Rio is the main target.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a very difficult transition but I had to go through with it if Rio was ever going to be a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew Brown for the IAAF and the IAAF Diamond League
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