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Bolt targets legend status

Usain Bolt is determined to produce the goods for his fans © Puma

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Usain Bolt returns to action at the Diamond League meeting in Rome on Thursday evening and he is not looking to rest on his laurels by declaring he wants to become a legend of the sport.

Bolt has taken sprinting to a new level since bursting onto the world scene with a triple gold-medal haul at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The Jamaican proved his efforts in China were no flash in the pan as he secured the same hat-trick of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold at the World Championships in 2009. He broke new ground in Berlin, smashing his own world record in the 100m by clocking 9.58 seconds and then took the 200m record down to 19.19.

The 2010 campaign was a mixed one for Bolt, as he picked up an Achilles injury and suffered a rare defeat to his great rival Tyson Gay.

Gay and Bolt are unlikely to meet until the World Championships in late sumer, making the races in Korea of huge importance, and the Jamaican is desperate to reassert himself on the sprinting division in order to cement his legacy.

"I really want to be a legend in the sport and to do that I feel I have to win in Korea," Bolt said. "I am taking things one step at a time, first the World Championships, then the Olympics next year. These two events are hugely important if I am to become a legend in track & field.

"I also think if I win in Korea, it will give me a psychological advantage over my competitors for the Olympics, because they will know that if I take the World Championships this year, then the Olympics next year is going to be really serious. So it is like a stepping stone and also a goal for me."

Olympic fever is stepping up a gear in England, with those who entered the ballot for tickets soon to learn if they have been successful, and London 2012 is of huge importance to Bolt.

"It is going to be huge," Bolt said. "There are so many people in Jamaica already saying they are already trying to get tickets, already booking the hotels. People keep saying to me 'make sure you are fit because I have already booked my flight', so it is so big for me already.

"It is going to be so very important for lots of people to go to London and see us run, so it is going to be a lot of pressure. I think it is going to take a lot of focus to win at the Olympics in London."

Usain Bolt, the current 100m and 200m world record holder, was speaking in his home country of Jamaica on behalf of PUMA. Usain wears the new PUMA Faas collection - see www.puma.com/running for details.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.