GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, May 8 – Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt says he is feeling strong and will be aiming for a fast time in the 100 metres when he competes at the Cayman Invitational.
“I am definitely going to try running my fastest, pushing myself because I am feeling good,” said Jamaican sprint star Bolt.
Bolt says he is over the hamstring strain which kept him out of a Jamaican meet last weekend.
He said his withdrawal from the Jamaica Invitational was simply a precaution because he had been feeling some pain in the days leading up to the event.
Bolt was down to run the 200 metres but said “it would be more damaging if I had taken on the curve.”
On Wednesday, Bolt will run from lane four.
Meanwhile, Japanese teen sprint sensation Yoshihide Kiryu, the joint junior 100m world record holder, has revealed his target time for the season is 9.96 seconds after writing the figure on a school blackboard.
The 17-year-old said he wrote goal on the athletics facility board at his high school after clocking the record equalling time of 10.01 seconds in a domestic race last Monday.
“I’ve written it off the top of my head,” Kiryu told reporters after finishing third in at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, the third leg of the 15-round IAAF World Challenge series, in Tokyo on Sunday.
“Often times, I surpass my targets after writing them without thinking much.”
The athletics team use the board at Rakunan High School in the ancient city of Kyoto to declare their aims.
If Kiryu were to run that fast, he would break Japan’s national record of 10.00 seconds, and become the first native Asian to dip under the 10-second barrier.
Kiryu said he wrote 10.30 on the board before setting a new under-18 world record of 10.21 in October last year, which he lowered to 10.19 a month later.
A headwind of 1.2 metres per second spoiled his bid to break 10 seconds on Sunday in his international debut. He clocked 10.40 with American Mike Rodgers first in 10.19 and the Bahama’s Derrick Atkins second in 10.24.
Both 2009 US champion Rodgers and 2007 world silver medallist Atkins have personal bests under 10 seconds.
“The season has just begun. I want to work hard and run under 10 seconds by the second half of the season,” Kiryu said.