London: Sprint legend Usain Bolt has admitted to being under pressure to defend his men`s Olympics 100 metres title in London.
Shortly after storming to victory in a new Olympic record 9.63 seconds at the London Games Sunday, Bolt said he had been worried and had discussed his strategy going forward with coach Glen Mills, CMC reports.
"I was really under a lot of pressure," Bolt said during the mixed zone interview.
"He (Mills) said `don`t worry I knew where you went wrong and we know what we have to do so as long as you fix the back problem you will be ok`."
Bolt said he had worked really hard to correct the back problems he had experienced and which had hampered him during the Jamaica Olympic Trials in June.
Then, he was twice beaten by training partner Yohan Blake, raising doubts about his ability to defend his Olympic sprint titles.
Bolt also said even on arrival at the Olympic Stadium for the start of the 100m race he was still a bit concerned but said after the penultimate round his confidence improved.
"I was slightly worried because I wasn`t racing but after I ran the semi-finals I felt smooth, I felt great, so it was no worry after that. I was confident I that I would have done it," he said.
Bolt also spoke highly of his training partner Blake who finished second in a personal best 9.75.
"He is great. He executed well," said Bolt, while adding that the young sprinter would continue to improve as he continued competing with more big names.
With his victory, Bolt joined American Carl Lewis as the other contemporary sprinter to win back-to-back titles.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.