Mills

Coach Glen Mills is not overly concerned about Usain Bolt's less than stellar performance at the Toronto Festival of Excellence at the University of Toronto last Thursday.

Bolt won the 100-metre dash in 10 seconds flat, but was not spectacular.

Bolt has admitted publicly that he is still to get close to the shape that saw him winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100-metre relay in Beijing last August, citing a heavy social schedule and his car accident in late April as factors contributing to his lack of early preparation.

Not unduly worried

But Mills, who is in his fifth year as Bolt's coach, said he was not unduly worried by his star athlete's progress this season and his performance in Canada.

"I don't think he was making that great an effort (in Toronto)," Mills said. "He said he was not really into it. The false starts, the weather (it was raining) and his teammate Marvin Anderson picking out, threw him off.

"He did enough to overcome the competition," Mills concluded, adding that Bolt was also running into a fairly stiff headwind of 0.9 metres per second.

US$100,000 bonus

Bolt runs the 100 metres today in Ostrava in the Czech Republic and Mills believes that, if the weather is right, Bolt will provide a truer indication of his current form.

Meet organisers have offered Bolt a US$100,000 bonus if he breaks his own world record.

Asafa Powell's 9.85 seconds is the meet record.

Mills explained that, in addition to Bolt's many social engagements that has him flying all over the world to attend events, photo shoots and other such tasks, as well as last season's extraordinary performances on the track, have taken a toll on the young athlete's body.

In addition to his exploits in Beijing where he set world records of 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres and 19.30 seconds in the 200 metres, Bolt ran faster than 9.80 seconds an unprecedented four times last season. Bolt also ran several world-leading times in the 200 metres.

Experiencing discomfort

Mills also revealed several weeks ago on SportsNation, a sports talk show on NewsTalk 93FM, that, following Bolt's accident in late April when he totalled his BMW M3, doctors made several incisions in the soles of the Olympic champion's feet to remove thorns that he picked up when he stepped out of the wrecked vehicle.

Those wounds hampered his preparation for the 200 metres. Bolt, he said, was experiencing discomfort while practising running the curve.

The veteran coach believes that, despite the setbacks, Bolt will be sufficiently prepared to make the team to Berlin when the National Championships get under way in less than two weeks.

Afterwards, "the objective is to be ready by August," he said.