JAPAN: ATHLETICS - Usain Bolt talks about defending his titles, a new distance or a new event and says he will decide at the start of next season

Record ID: 466659

  • Title: JAPAN: ATHLETICS - Usain Bolt talks about defending his titles, a new distance or a new event and says he will decide at the start of next season
  • Date: 11th October 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 10, 2012) (REUTERS) OLYMPIC 100M AND 200M TITLE HOLDER USAIN BOLT DANCING ONTO STAGE BOLT SITTING DOWN ON STAGE BOLT SITTING ON STAGE AT NEWS CONFERENCE BOLT POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ON STAGE PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) USAIN BOLT, SAYING: "There's a few things I've thought about. I could always try the 400 metres, which I don't want to do. I could try to run faster over both my events. I could try another event, maybe long-jump, or as I said, 400 metres. There's a few things that I could try other sports that I could work towards, so we'll see what I'll decide at the start of the season." MORE OF BOLT ON STAGE MORE OF BOLT POSING MORE OF BOLT ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) USAIN BOLT, SAYING: "I've always wanted to try soccer. So I don't know. Maybe at the end of my career, near to the end of my career. I don't know, but it would be something that I would love to try because I think I'll be good at it by just watching TV and seeing these guys playing. I've played soccer all the time with my friends, I've played charity matches in Jamaica and I've done well so I think it was something I'd like to try definitely." PHOTOGRAPHER VARIOUS OF BOLT DOING 'LIGHTNING BOLT' POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS MORE OF BOLT POSING
  • Embargoed: 26th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2RHC20H4A6CFVTPF34VKYX5X
  • Story Text: Usain Bolt may be the world's fastest man but he could now be planning to leap into the world of long jump.
    On a trip to New Zealand earlier this week, Bolt dismissed rumours he may switch to 400 metres or long jump before the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016 - away from his trademark 100 and 200 metre events.
    But at a news conference in Japan on Wednesday (October 10), Bolt, who won three Olympic gold medals in London this year, suggested all cards were still on the table.
    "There's a few things I've thought about. I could always try the 400 metres, which I don't want to do. I could try to run faster over both my events. I could try another event, maybe long-jump, or as I said, 400 metres," Bolt told reporters in Tokyo.
    "There's a few things that I could try other sports that I could work towards, so we'll see what I'll decide at the start of the season."
    Further in the future though, Bolt said his dream was outside the world of athletics.
    "I've always wanted to try soccer. So I don't know. Maybe at the end of my career, near to the end of my career. I don't know, but it would be something that I would love to try because I think I'll be good at it by just watching TV and seeing these guys playing. I've played soccer all the time with my friends, I've played charity matches in Jamaica and I've done well so I think it was something I'd like to try definitely," he said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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