Usain Bolt: I want to become a legend

If in the cartoon world Lucky Luke is the man known to shoot faster than his shadow, in the real world Usain Bolt is the only man whose shadow has trouble catching up with him.

Kathimerini chased the Jamaican sprint superstar and managed to get him to stay still for a few minutes, only to be stunned by the targets that the world recordholder in the 100, 200 and 4×100 meters has set for his future.

Fast and snappy in his answers, just like on the track, Bolt doesn?t waste any time before voicing his thoughts. The false start in the 100-meter final in the recent World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, was a letdown for the sprinter but he hasn?t let it hold him back.

?It was disappointing not to defend my 100 m title, but I was happy to win the 200 m and 4×100 m and then run the world?s fastest 100 m time in Brussels,? he said, referring to the meet back in September where he clocked 9.76 seconds.

Asked how the false-start rules could be improved, he appeared to accept the responsibility for his mistake, saying, ?I don?t really have a problem with the rules.?

How do you think you?ll look back on your experience in Daegu after a few years? time?

There is no point dwelling on it. I?m just moving on and aiming for the Olympic Games next year.

How far do you think you can take the 100 m and 200 m records?

I mainly concentrate on winning titles instead of breaking records. Next year is all about the Olympic Games.

The appeal of the athletics world?s biggest event for the 25-year-old star appears to be inspiring him in other directions as well. Asked whether he would be tempted to try matching Jesse Owens?s and Carl Lewis?s four gold medals in one Olympics by having a go at the long jump too, he admitted: ?I would like to try it one time in the future as I think I could do well in it.? However, he does not intend to pursue breaking Michael Johnson?s 400-meter record just yet.

The charismatic figure that he is, Bolt savors people?s attention and revels in it like a young child. At the age of 25, having already come so far, the question is how much more he thinks he can achieve. Living up to his ?Lightning? nickname, the response is immediate, not to mention thunderous: ?My aim is to become a legend and to do this I want to keep winning Olympic and World titles.?

Similarly, Bolt has no qualms about calling himself the best sprinter ever, stressing that ?I am the fastest of all time, ain?t I??

And yet, when playing cricket at school in the parish of Trelawny, northwestern Jamaica, one doubts he could have imagined what the future held for him.

?I started off playing cricket and then my teacher advised me to try sprinting. I had a very happy childhood. I was a very active child,? he told Kathimerini.

Despite the medals, the world records and the huge amounts of money that accompany them, the sprinter still seems to have kept his two feet on the ground, metaphorically speaking, of course. ?I think I am still the same person. I have the same family and do the same things. I still have the same friends as I always had and see them regularly,? Bolt, also known to be a fan of reggae, clubbing and beautiful women, said.

Do you always train as hard, or do you sometimes reach the point where you?ve had enough?

To be successful in track and field, you have to train very hard and be focused.

What is your response to those who say that your records are out of this world?

Thank you that is a nice compliment.

Greek account to settle

Bolt still has some accounts to settle with Greece, though. The Jamaican bullet has taken part in meetings in this country, but is yet to be paid for taking part in the 2009 World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki.

Would you compete in Greece again, considering the Greek state?s failure to pay you?

I hope they will pay the money owed soon.

How much money does the state still owe you from the Thessaloniki meeting in 2009?

I do not discuss my finances in the media.

Despite its outstanding debt, the athlete appears to have a positive opinion of Greece: ?It is a nice country good weather and I hear you have a lot of nice islands, although I haven?t visited them yet.?

Jamaica is also a rather small country which enjoys great weather; however the Caribbean island has come to dominate the sprinting world in recent years. What is Bolt?s explanation for that? ?Jamaica has a lot of talent and nowadays everyone wants to be a sprinter. We have great coaches, good weather and inspiring role models.?

When discussing soccer, his hobby, he steps down from his superstar status into that of an ordinary fan who also loves playing the game. In recent months he has even claimed he would like to get more serious about it one day, so Kathimerini put him on the spot.

Could you really play football on a professional level one day? Are you as good with a football as you are on the track?

I would like to try to play soccer when I retire. I don?t know what level I could play at but I would love to give it a go.

Would you really ask for a trial at Manchester United?

I support Manchester United and it would be a dream to play for them, but their standard is very high.

Will United be able to beat Barcelona this year?

I hope so they look good so far this year.