By Gary Smith for World-Track
NEW YORK, USA — Sprint Phenomenon Usain Bolt may very well have things his own way at the 2012 London Olympics if he does decides to go ahead chase an exceptional 100m, 200m and 400m treble.
Already being considered as one of the greatest sprinters of all-times, Bolt said he now wants to become a legend — hinting that he would love to become the first person to win three individual sprint titles at a single Games.
That feat has never been achieved by an athlete, giving the hectic timetable between the 200m and 400m.
However, on Wednesday the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced that they will consider altering the athletics schedule at the London Games to enable Bolt to chase three individual gold medals.
"To win all three (100m, 200m and 400m) sounds incredible," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said in the The Courier-Mail.
"If Usain continues to do amazing things, is super motivated, we’d be insane not to consider it.
"He might not like the 400m and he reiterated when in Manchester this week that he does want to defend his Olympic 100m and 200m titles.
"But it’s more interesting for Bolt because everyone thought he would develop as a 400m runner."
Bolt himself admits that it will be a difficult task to accomplish, but feels it’s the right thing, at least for him at this stage of his career.
"The 100m will suffer because it would be difficult to do all three, the 100, 200 and 400," he recalled.
"But it doesn’t matter that I may lose the title of the fastest man in the world because I want the 400m world record.
"It’s the right thing to do at this stage in my career because I want to become a legend, I want to become the first athlete to hold the world record at 100, 200 and 400."
The 22-year-old first assignment is to repeat as sprint champion at the World Championships in Berlin in August, while the IAAF officials will stage the first meeting to consider the program schedule for the Games in October.
"The first timetable meeting is in October this year," Davies said.
"If (Bolt) wins the 100m and 200m in Berlin I think it would be strongly considered and (London organising committee chairman) Seb Coe is an athletics guy and he would be over the moon to have that."
Notable, the late Herb McKenley, a fellow countryman of Bolt was the last man to sit a top of the world rankings for the 100m, 200m and 400m events over six decades ago.
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