Brussels: Usain Bolt says he plans to retire from the sport after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Bolt says he wants to win gold in Rio, set another world record in the 200 metres next year, and perhaps win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Bolt says: “I think it will be a good time to retire, on top and just been dominating for so long.”
After winning another three golds at the world championships in Moscow, Bolt will run his final race this season in the 100 at Friday’s Van Damme Memorial.
Bolt says: “if I want to be among the greats of [Muhammad] Ali and Pele and all these guys, I have to continue dominating until I retire.”
The Jamaican equalled the record for the number of world golds won when he anchored the Jamaican 4x100-metre relay team to victory at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow on August 18. It was Bolt’s eighth world gold medal after winning the 100 and 200 metres at the Berlin worlds in 2009, the 200 metres in Daegu in 2011, the 100 and 200 metres in Moscow this week, as well as golds as part of the winning Jamaican 4x100-metre relay squads in both 2009, 2011 and now 2013.
Bolt is now at par with American women’s 200-metre specialist Allyson Felix, and retired US track stars Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson who, including relays, all have won eight world championship gold medals.
The last Worlds had been a remarkable one for Bolt, who first reclaimed his world 100-metre title in emphatic style, clocking a season’s best 9.77sec in heavy rain. He then powered to a third successive world 200-metre title, destroying the field to finish in 19.66sec.
But the 26-year-old, who is also world record holder in both the 100 and 200 metres, has insisted that his record counted for nothing. Bolt himself stated after his 200-metre victory that his aim was to defend his Olympic sprint titles at the 2016 Rio Games, having won an unprecedented three golds (100, 200, 4x100-metre relay) in both the Beijing Games in 2008 and in London last year.