(ZIZ News) – Usain Bolt says he has considered the possibility of extending his sprinting career to the 2020 Olympics but is first targeting a history-making new world 200m record at this year’s Rio Olympic Games.
The Jamaican sprint star has repeatedly said he plans to retire after the 2017 World Championships in London, bringing the curtain down on a record-breaking career that has included six Olympic gold medals.
However, the 29-year-old told Television Jamaica that his coach had suggested he was capable of running in a fourth Olympics staging if he chose to.
He was quoted as saying, “The coach says I can go on to even the next Olympics in 2020. We’ll see. If I feel I can do it, I’ll definitely try. But, for me, I want to retire on top of my game. I don’t want to continue if I know I’m not going to push myself hard enough.”
Bolt said as he mulled his future, he had taken advice from US sprint great and former Olympic 200m and 400m champion Michael Johnson.
In the short term, Bolt said he is determined to light up this year’s Olympics in Rio, where he will be attempting to defend his 100m and 200m titles for a third-straight occasion.
He revealed that he is targeting a new world record in the 200m, hoping to become the first man to duck beneath 19 seconds.