Bolt in good shape for showdown with Powell and Gay

Published>Thu, Aug 05 10 01:26 AM

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt is in good shape and unruffled by the prospect of his first 100 metres showdown with top sprint rivals Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell this year at Friday's Stockholm Diamond League meeting.

The clash will match the three fastest men of all time with Bolt, the world record holder at 9.58 seconds, followed by Gay (9.69) and Powell (9.72).

Bolt, who was beaten by Powell in the 2008 meeting in the Swedish capital, has had his season interrupted by an Achilles tendon strain but beat his Jamaican compatriot in last month's Paris Diamond League meeting.

"My foot is getting better, I'm training hard, I've been working out, so I'm getting there," Bolt said at the launch of his new clothing range at a packed sports store in Stockholm on Wednesday.

"I'm feeling good, so that's the key thing. I'm in good shape."

The defeat by Powell two years ago will not be playing on Bolt's mind on Friday.

"I've got all these wonderful fans behind me so I got no worries," he told reporters.

Bolt was presented with a blue singlet to wear on Friday which features an image of him riding on a lion.

"If they (the crowd) are really loud and they love me, I will probably give my singlet away," he said, smiling broadly.

Hundreds of fans had flocked to the store for a glimpse of the sprinter during a question and answer session, with young athletes given the chance to pose their questions to him.

Bolt advised them to work hard and train hard if they wanted to emulate him but he added that he still had plenty of time to play video games when not training.

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