(Reuters) – Usain Bolt is a definite starter for another Olympic Games in four years’ time, opening up the possibility of more sprint records or an attempt at other events, the six-time gold medalist said on Wednesday.
Speculation has been rife since the London Games that the Olympic 100 and 200 meters champion could quit athletics and not compete at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
His hunger for success, however, appears to be showing no signs of abating.
“Yes definitely I will be there (in Rio), as long as I’m fit and I’m ready,” Bolt said at a promotional event in Lausanne on Wednesday.
“It’ll be a little bit harder but I’m looking forward to it.”
The possibility of Bolt, also a member of Jamaica’s world record-breaking 4×100 relay team in London, switching from the sprints to the 400 or long jump has long been debated.
American Carl Lewis – who like Bolt claimed back-to-back Olympic 100 titles – was also a four-time men’s long jump gold medalist, dominating the event from 1984 in Los Angeles to Atlanta in 1996.
“It’s just about making different goals, there’s a lot of things I can do in the sport,” Bolt said.
“My coach wants me to do 400 meters, I want to try long jump.
“I could always try to aim for the records again, so there’s different things but after the season we’ll decide what we want to do and work on that next season.”
The newly-turned 26-year-old also told the Hublot watch event that his dream of one day becoming a soccer player still burned bright.
(Writing by Tom Bartlett, editing by mark Meadows)