The Chinese deal, which reportedly claimed to offer Bolt licensing rights inside China and exclusive distribution rights in markets outside that country, was allegedly being negotiated by Anza Marketing Group Inc (AMG), the exclusive marketing agent in China for the triple Olympic champion.

Ajani Williams, Jamaica's former NBA player who is chief executive of AMG, had claimed he was close to agreeing a deal with an unidentified Chinese company that "would change the landscape of track and field, it would change the outcome of his life, and probably even the direction of the country."

Bolt has become the most sought after athlete in history after setting world records in the 100 and 200 metres at the Olympics in Beijing last year and then breaking them at the World Championships in Berlin last month.

Williams refused to reveal the identity of the company's but earlier this year Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva was signed by Chinese sporting goods company Li Ning to a deal worth about $1.5 million (£912,000) a year.

Anta, another major company in China, has openly declared its target is to replace Adidas and Nike as the number one sportswear brand in the world.

Earlier this year it completed its first major signing when Serbian tennis player Jelena Jankovic, currently ranked eighth in the world, joined them.

But Bolt, who has worn Puma shoes and kit throughout this career having signed a four-year contract at 16, soon after winning his first title at the annual Jamaican Boys Championships, has said that he will honour his agreement with the German company.

He is now their highest-paid sponsored athlete but the $3 million (£1.8 million) he receives from Puma is relatively modest compared to the huge offer from China.



A spokesman for Bolt said: "The management [of Usain Bolt] completely disassociates itself from any approach that AMG may have made to the Chinese company which is reported to have made a lucrative offer.

"The management wishes to make it clear that it respects the terms of the valid contract which it has with Puma, which terms, restricts the Management to have any direct contact with a competitor of Puma, the shoe contract sponsor, until after 2010 when the present contract ends.

"While AMG has since 2008 been the exclusive agent of Usain Bolt in China, no meaningful complying offer has been raised by AMG from this very lucrative market since Usain Bolt set spectacular performances in Beijing, China in the Summer Olympic Games in 2008.

"The Bolt management finds the actions of AMG extremely presumptuous and will not be drawn by AMG into a position of breach of the Puma contract."

Bolt's manager Norman Peart is, however, negotiating several other deals and expects at least two to be concluded before the end of the year.

He is working to add book, movie, car, video game, and other consumer product deals to the star's current portfolio, which besides Puma, also includes Gatorade, Digicel and Texaco.

Peart said: "There's quite a lot of deals on the table now.

"Based on his performance in Berlin, people are coming back and the deals are looking more lucrative.

"Between now and December we should sign a couple more, but importantly he can only do so much.

"Let's say he gets five or six deals, that should be enough.

"We are still working on getting the big deals, it's still a bit of a challenge, but in terms of having those two major titles, he's more noticeable, he's sort of lifted the sport."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].


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