The long-striding Jamaican suggested he might not stop there,
leaving open the chance he could extend his career beyond the
2017 season he has said would be his last.
Bolt has already swept the 100 and 200m sprints at the last two
Olympics and added gold in the 4x100 relays in both Beijing
(2008) and London (2012) with his Jamaican team mates.
"Just to defend my titles, to do the three-peat. That's my main
goal. That's my main focus," Bolt told Reuters on Tuesday after
helping sponsors Hublot open their biggest U.S. fine watch store
with a grand opening on Fifth Avenue.
"My secondary goal is to try and run sub-19," added Bolt, who
set the world 200m record of 19.19 in 2009. "That's something I
really want and I hope that everything goes smoothly and I can
get it. That would be a big step for me."
Bolt said he has been gradually rounding into shape after
dealing with ankle problems.
"I'm feeling OK," he said. "My coach says my fitness is not
exactly where he wants it to be.
"Starting out this season I had a problem with my ankles and it
was a setback but not that bad. We're getting back on track and
he's happy with the progress I'm making."
Bolt said he would ramp up his preparations carefully so he can
end his Olympic career with a flourish.
"I really want to be at my best leading up to the championships.
I have two months before (Jamaican) trials and three and a half
months before the championships," he said.
"I'll keep pushing myself and hopefully everything smoothes out
and I'll be at my best when the Olympics comes around."
Bolt said he would run his first race in Cayman, then in Ostrava
and then to his coach's June meet in Jamaica before the trials
and then on to the Diamond League meeting in London.
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The 29-year-old said his coach, Glen Mills, wanted him to
leave the retirement door open.
"Coach says I shouldn't say I want to retire just yet, I should
focus on the year and see how I feel after the (2017) world
championships (in London)," said the six-time Olympic gold
medalist.
"And if I still feel like I want to retire, I should. But he
says to give it a chance, because I think my coach is pushing
for me to go a few more years. We'll see what happens," he
added.
"Personally, I don't really want to continue for years and years
because it's getting hard. I have to sacrifice more and more. It
takes up so much of your time."
In any event, Bolt said he would not treat 2017 like a farewell
tour.
"I'm never going to come out and joke or be a joke in a season. I'm
a winner. I believe in winning. I hate to lose. I will never come
out and say it is a farewell tour. I will want to compete at my
best, go to the championships and win again."
As for the legacy he hoped to leave the sport he has dominated for
eight years, Bolt spoke about another Hublot spokesman, 75-year-old
soccer great Pele.
"I met Pele today. For me, it was a dream come true," Bolt said.
"I've always said I want to be the greatest. I want to be like Pele
and Ali and all those guys.
"I want to be great. I want to be remembered as one of the greatest
that have ever done the sport."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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