Bolt mulls swapping sprinting for long jump

Aug 23, 2012 |

London

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Jamaica's Usain Bolt has said he is considering switching sprinting for long jump before the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The world's fastest man, who claimed three gold medals at the London Olympics, dismissed rumours that he may retire before Rio but said he may compete in different events in four years' time.

"It's just about making different goals, there's a lot of things I can do in the sport," Bolt told Britain's Sky News television channel.

"My coach wants me to do 400 metres, I want to try long jump," said Bolt, who successfully defended his 2008 Beijing 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles in London this month.

"I could always try to aim for the records again, so there's different things - but after the season we'll decide what we want to do and work on that next season."

Bolt's flirtation with long jump comes a week after he claimed he was considering playing cricket in Australia's domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League.

He played junior cricket before turning to the track and has long voiced a love for the game.

The sprinter has also said he would happily play football for Manchester United, 'if the money's right'.

If Bolt does switch to long jump, he would be following in the footsteps of US sprinter Carl Lewis, who won the Olympic long jump title four times from 1984 to 1988 as well as four sprint golds.

Bolt also brushed off speculation that he was planning to quit ahead of the Rio Games.

"Yes, definitely I will be there (in Rio), as long as I'm fit and I'm ready," said the 26-year-old. "It'll be a little bit harder but I'm looking forward to it."

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