NASSAU, Bahamas (AFP) : World Champs is where it matters, says Usain Bolt (PHOTOS)

Jamaica’s 4x100m men’s team (from left)
Nesta Carter,
 Kemar Bailey- Cole, Usain Bolt, and
Nickel Ashmeade,
pose after collecting their silver medals.

Tuesday, May 05, 2015    

NASSAU, Bahamas (AFP) -- While the eyes of the sporting world were fixed on boxing's much-touted 'fight of the century' in Las Vegas, two of the fastest men on the planet renewed a rivalry which bodes for an electrifying season on the track.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt and American arch-rival Justin Gatlin took to the blue track of the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in the capital of the Bahamas just as the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao title bout got under way.

   

(L-R) Warren Weir relaxes after leading
 Jamaica to victory in the men’s 4x200m
 relay. Jamaica's Samantha Henry- Robinson
 leaves the blocks on the first leg of the
silver medalwinning 4x200m team. Javon
Francis recovers after another scintillating
 anchor leg of 44.00 seconds, which could
 only take Jamaica to fourth in the 4x400m.

The comparison was not lost on either athlete as Gatlin helped the US quartet to the 4x100m crown in the second edition of the IAAF World Relays, Bolt unable to snag American anchor Ryan Bailey in the run-in for the line.

Jamaica’s golden girls (from left)
Simone Facey, Schillonie Calvert,
Veronica Campbell Brown and
 Kerron Stewart celebrate after
 winning the 4x100m.

"I think it's going to be a good rivalry -- like Pacquiao and Mayweather," said Gatlin, against whom Bolt says he has no problem competing after the American 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist saw out his four-year ban for doping.

"I think that's what the track fans want to see this year and I want to help bring that."

Gatlin, 33, dominated the 2014 season with career-best and world-leading times in the 100 and 200m of 9.77 and 19.68sec, respectively.

Bolt, however, was forced to sit out most of last season with injuries, but says he seems to be coming back into the form required to defend his sprint titles at the World Championships in Beijing in August.

"We just need to get back to the shape we are used to," Bolt said after finishing second to the United States in the shortest relay.

"We have three months, and at the World Championships that's where it really matters."

Indeed, Bolt has assisted Jamaica to win two Olympic and three world titles in the 4x100m and said the victory of the US quartet, also featuring Tyson Gay -- a sprinter Bolt said shouldn't even be running after his doping ban was halved for "cooperation", "makes it more exciting going into the World Championships".

Jamaican Supporters

"I'm not totally surprised. We're not in the best shape as a team, and personally I know I'm not in the best form that I can be. I have three months to work on that," Bolt said.

"But I came here to run so that's the best... I take every loss as a learning curve."

On an individual level, Gatlin was adamant that he was the "man to beat right now". more