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'I'm a living legend, bask in my glory'

Last Updated 28 March 2018, 10:21 IST

After another of his commanding victories on the Olympic stage, Usain Bolt has little to prove to anyone. To defend his titles and become a legend were his goals and after his triumphs in the 100M and 200M at London 2012, the Jamaican is very much in a club of one.

The relief of having accomplished his mission was very much evident on his face as Bolt addressed the world’s media and stated, “I am a living legend, bask in my glory.”  Revealing his state of mind, he simply added another line, “Tell everybody in your country to follow me on twitter, @usainbolt.”

To the followers of Usain Bolt, here are the legend’s words, on his sport, his present and future:

On the race and his mission: For me it was a good race. The key thing was run the corner as fast as possible. I think I ran it a little too fast as, when I came off the bend, I could feel a slight strain in my back.

To have set a goal for yourself for years to become a legend, you can't really explain what that means. It's not going to hit you until you sit down and think about it. The work you put in, the highs and lows you went through -- those are the things that will bring tears to your eyes. I know that when I sit down and think about the struggles that I've been through over the seasons, it will be emotional.

On who he would like to be compared to and his place in the sporting pantheon: Definitely Jesse Owens, without a doubt. He's a great athlete. For me it's wonderful to show the world that I'm the best. For me I can't say that I'm at the same level as Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan. I've really set myself high in track. A lot of people might say 'he's as good as Jordan', he was the best at his sport, I'm the best in my sport.

On his rivalry with Blake: Around 2010, I said to him, 'you came aro-und the wr-ong time, these n-ext two years are mi-ne'.

On his future: I think when I get to 30 I will be thinking about retiring. Track and field is way too hard. Yohan is running 19.4 already, he's running 9.7 in the 100. I think I want to get out before he starts running too fast. I'm not ready to retire yet.

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(Published 10 August 2012, 17:01 IST)

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