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| Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt insists he is on the right path as he targets the defence of his 100m crown at next month's world championships in London. Bolt said that a season's best of 9.95 seconds to win at a packed out 17,000-capacity Stade Louis II was just the tonic. |
Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt insists he is on the right path as
he targets the defence of his 100m crown at next month's world championships in
London.
In his swansong season, the 30-year-old has struggled to light up the
track.
In his outings over the blue riband event so far this season, Bolt had
clocked 10.03sec in Kingston and 10.06 in Ostrava against relatively weak
opposition before finally dipping under the 10sec barrier at Friday's Diamond
League meet in Monaco.
A season's best of 9.95 seconds to win at a packed out 17,000 capacity
Stade Louis II was just the tonic, the towering Jamaican said of his second
appearance in Europe in his farewell season.
"I'm going in the right direction, although there is still a lot of
work to do," he said after running a time that now moves him up to joint
seventh on a 2017 world list headed by Christian Coleman of the United States
with 9.82.
"Running sub-10 is always good. It was an exciting race, there was
lots of energy."
As in Ostrava, Bolt suffered a sluggish start before opening up and
easing through the line ahead of American Isiah Young by 0.03sec.
Bolt, winner of eight Olympic and 11 world gold medals, will bring down
the curtain on his glittering career at August's world championships in London.
- Emotions high -
And he acknowledged that his final season on the track was an emotional
one.
"I am always here for the fans, and of course I will miss the vibe
around the track," he said.
"There are mixed emotions always happy for my career, sad that it
is ending."
When asked what his plans were after the world championships, Bolt was
unwilling to disclose too many details.
"I'm planning to chill with my family after London," he said.
"And my plan after this season? I'm not sure."
Bolt said he was touched by the efforts meet organisers had gone to to
make his farewell appearances special.
Monaco's Prince Albert II presented the Jamaican with a giant golden
figure of Hercules after video clips of his medal-winning career were shown on
the stadium's big screens following his victory.
That came after Bolt had delighted hordes of screaming fans by joining
in a synchronised cheerleading dance, which ended with his trademark pose.
One of Bolt's main rivals for the 100m crown in London will likely be
Canada's Andre de Grasse.
But De Grasse only raced the 4x100m relay in Monaco his Canadian team
failing to complete the lap and was moved to play down ideas that Bolt had
asked organisers that he not race the 100m.
"I can state that stories about me
competing here in the 100m are just rumours. It was never in our plans,"
De Grasse insisted.

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