World and Olympics 100m record holder, Usain Bolt, has said he does not expect his 100m world record-9.58s, set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to be broken this summer in Tokyo.
“I’m very confident,” Bolt said on an Instagram post via @Olympics interview session.
“I’m not saying it’s not going to happen. But I don’t think the crop I’m watching; I don’t think they’re there at a level [to run times of] 9.58s or 19.19s. So, we’ll see what happens,” he added.
But the eight-time Olympic Games gold medallist is backing American sprinter, Trayvon Bromell, 26, to win gold. Bromell set a world-leading time of 9.77s on June 5 at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida.
“He’s really stepped up and shows that he’s ready and he’s is fit,” Bolt said. “As long as he stays good, he should be on top.
“Mentally, it’s tough on you and making one mistake [in the] 100m finals. It can be [your] downfall. So, let’s see what happens,” he added.
Bolt’s 200m record stands at 19.19s and this has been largely unthreatened in 2021. Terrance Laird leads the likely winners in Tokyo, having run a time of 19.81s followed by Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru (Bromell’s training partner) who ran a time of 19.88s at the UNF Invitational in Florida on April 29.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics flags off July 23.