Bolt – 'I could have gone faster'

By Gary Smith — (Caribbean Net News) – World-Track

MANCHESTER, England — Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt says he hopes to be at full strength for this summer’s IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany later this year.

The triple Olympic champion produced a sparkling 14.35 seconds world best to win the 150-metres race at the Great City Games in Manchester Sunday evening.

His blistering one-man show performances ended all doubts as to how he fit he is, following a car accident that sent him back in training.

But despite his dominance, the lanky sprinter, who floated away from the four man field, said he was not yet fully fit.

"I think I’m probably 70-per cent so I really have to buckle down. I still have a lot of work to do but I am getting there," Bolt said.

"I think this race helped because I haven’t run a serious race all season so it is always good to run well in your first race.

Bolt said he could have gone even faster had he been in better shape and played down quarries about him almost being in peak form.

"I think I could go faster because I’m not in the best of shape and I slipped at the start. I could have gone faster.

"I am hoping by Berlin (the world championships) I will be 100 per cent. I don’t try to peak before and I try to work towards it race by race."

The performance from the 22-year-old smashed the previous best of 14.8sec, set by Italia’s Pietro Mennea in 1983.

Bolt dominated the sprints at the Olympics in Beijing — winning both individual events in world records. He also ran the third leg on the Jamaican world record breaking 4x100m relay team.