• Athletics

Bolt unconcerned by sluggish times

ESPN staff
July 22, 2011
Usain Bolt claims not to be worried about slow times - as long as he keeps winning © Getty Images
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Usain Bolt admits he has been far from his record-breaking best so far this season, but insists that the World Championships are his only target and he is well on course to be dominant in Daegu.

The Jamaican has underwhelmed so far in the 100 metres this season, recording only the seventh fastest time in the world (9.91 seconds) of 2011 in his two races to date.

But he also won on both occasions - in the process beating a number of sprinters with faster times than him this season - and so believes pace is not everything.

"I've not got to prove to anyone that I'm still the world's fastest man, blah, blah, blah," Bolt, who will race in the 100m in Monaco on Friday evening, said. "It's always been about the World Championships, never about the times.

"It's all about getting everything right. If the technique is right and I run 10 seconds flat, I'll be happy."

While the 24-year-old admits he would love to threaten his existing world record in the near future, he is primarily concerned with finishing ahead of his competitors whenever he faces them on the track.

"I want to run fast and I always run as fast as possible," he said. "I'm always up to the challenge and no matter how slow I run, I'm always at the front of the pack."

The World Championships in South Korea begin on August 27.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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