Usain Bolt, London 2012 Olympics Star, Considers Long Jump

Now Bolt Considers The Long Jump

Olympic long jumpers could be forgiven for feeling slightly nervous today - the world's fastest man Usain Bolt is pondering a move into their sandpit.

Bolt, the 100m, 200m and 4x100m sprint relay winner in London, has spoken out to end speculation that he may retire before the 2016 Rio Games, but then hinted at competing in some different events in four years' time.

"It's just about making different goals, there's a lot of things I can do in the sport," Bolt said on Sky News.

"My coach wants me to do 400 metres, 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."

If Bolt were to switch to long jump, he would be following the example of American sprinter Carl Lewis, winner of back-to-back Olympic 100m titles in 1984 and 1988, who was also a four-time gold winner in the long jump in a run spanning from 1984 to 1996.

Bolt has already expressed a desire to play for Manchester United

Bolt's long jump idea comes only a week after he claimed he and fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake could play in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 cricket league with Shane Warne.

But whatever he is competing in, Bolt was keen to end speculation that he may retire before the Rio Games as he wants to add to his six Olympic golds.

"Yes, definitely I will be there (in Rio), as long as I'm fit and I'm ready," he said.

"It'll be a little bit harder but I'm looking forward to it."

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