Sport
Johnson: Usain Bolt’s chances of 4 gold tough
At this year’s world championships in Daegu, South Korea, Bolt won the 200 and helped Jamaica win the 400 relay, but he was disqualified because of a false start in the 100 final. Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake won in his absence.
“I see no reason why he shouldn’t be able to repeat as an Olympic gold medallist in the 100, 200 and the (400 relay), but the (1,600 relay) is going to be tough,” said Johnson, who won the 200 and 400 golds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 400 in Sydney four years later.
“Without him the Jamaican team certainly doesn’t have enough 400 runners to beat the United States. They could beat the U.S. possibly with him on the team if he was training for the 400, but he can’t just step onto the track and run a 44 or a 43-second split just off 100 and 200 training.”
In order to have a chance of making the team, Johnson said Bolt will need to run some competitive 400s before the Olympics, which open on July 27.
“I don’t see the Jamaican coaching staff putting him on the (1,600) relay unproven,” Johnson said. “That means he’s got to go out there and run some 400s during the season, in order to prove that he should be on that relay.”
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press.
