And he has also apparently ruled out the possibility that he will ever run a 400 metres world record.

Speaking here on the eve of his 100metres against Tyson Gay in the DN Galan Diamond League meeting, the world 100 and 200m record holder initially indicated that he was not thinking of extending his Olympic career beyond the 2012 London Games.

"2016?" he said.

"No.

"I don’t think I will be.

"But it’s Brazil, right?

"I think that will be my last Olympics.

"So I think I will retire at 30 if it’s a good season."

Bolt, who switched to the Stockholm race after his plans to compete in the London Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace were undermined by what he feels is a punitive British tax law, also dismissed Michael Johnson’s suggestion that he would be the one to beat the world record of 43.18sec which Johnson set at the 1999 World Championships.

"I’ve been saying for a while that I don’t want to run the 400 metres.

"I don’t think I will ever do that, pretty much.

"Long jump is much easier."

Bolt said he hoped that the tax issue preventing top-earning performers such as himself and tennis player Roger Federer competing regularly in Britain would be addressed and altered.

"I was supposed to do London, and you guys know about the situation with that,” he said.

"I had to get one more race in so we approached Stockholm.

"I definitely hope it’s something they are looking at in the future, because there are a lot of Jamaican people in London, and I look
forward to being able to race in front of them."

Bolt sympathised with his Jamaican rival Asafa Powell, who had announced the previous day that he had to drop out of the 100m because of a back injury.

"It’s sad that Asafa’s out because I think people were really looking forward to the three of us showing-down tomorrow," Bolt said. 

"I know what it feels like to be out.

"You train all year to compete, so it’s really hard to have to sit and watch a race.

"I wish Asafa all the best so he can get fit and we can have the last race of the season.

"It’s still going to be a quick time tomorrow because I am competing against Tyson and all the other guys so I know it’s going to be
business as usual.

"I like competing against Tyson and it’s good for the sport.

"So I’m looking forward to it."

Gay said he would probably need a personal best to beat Bolt, whom he has only raced twice before over 100m, in New York two years ago, and at last summer’s IAAF World Championships.

On both occasions, Bolt broke the world record.

"I think it will take a PB (personal best)," Gay said.

"If not, a fast time.

"I can’t say 9.7 is not a fast time because it is, I can’t say 9.8 isn’t a fast time, because it is.

"But I know I am going to have to run my best to even be in the video, the camera shots..."

Powell said he was not sure when he would be back into action, although it is highly doubtful that he will be fit enough to race against Gay at next week’s London Diamond League meeting.

"I hurt my back three weeks ago and it’s kind of weird because it’s not getting better, so I am just hoping for the best," he said.

"It’s a problem in my lower back.

"I haven’t had an injury like this before, and it hurts like hell! I’ve been doing a lot of work on it but I’m just taking it day by day.

"I made the decision not to run pretty much yesterday.

"I went back to the track and tried to do some things and see where I was at but things were still not coming together.

"I hope I will be fit enough to run in the Diamond League finals in Brussels, but I am taking things step by step, day by day.

"Hopefully I will be better by then."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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July 2010: Gay wins but faces new Jamaican challenge