Coach Glen Mills (left) whispers to his star sprinter, Usain Bolt, during a press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston yesterday. Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

World 100 and 200 metres record holder, Usain Bolt, will be one of the main attractions at next year's International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League.

The Diamond League will replace the current Golden League which is held in Europe and is intended to make track and field a truly world sport.

Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, said his star athlete will compete in both the 100 metres and 200 metres new Diamond League circuit, which will take the world's top athletes to Europe, Asia and North America.

No major meets, World Champion-ships or Olympic Games are scheduled for next year but Mills, who spoke to The Gleaner at at special welcome home function for Bolt at the Terra Hotel yesterday, said he expected the world's fastest man to be in top shape next year.

"We still have to prepare to run in the Diamond League and other meets on the circuit so we will be as sharp as ever," Mills said.

The veteran coach added that he was not surprised by Bolt's record-breaking runs at the Berlin World Championships.

In announcing the new league earlier this year, IAAF president Lamine Diack said:

"It has always been one of our dreams to see the circuit of our best meetings going to each corner of the world. And today, we are all sitting here and are proud to say that the dream has come true. For myself, and my colleagues of the IAAF Council, it is great to have this agreement signed and see the best meetings gathered in a Diamond League which will be going all around the world and more so, it is great for me to be able to announce that all the events of our sport will be touring around the world."

"It's fantastic what the young man can do and I think he has potential to do even more," Mills said.

According to Mills, the writing was on the wall a year ago in Beijing.

"It was clear from last year that he could have gone faster than 9.69 seconds.

"(This year) ... even in the meets that he ran on the circuit in the rain and cold, he was clocking 9.79 and 9.77. It was a clear indication that given the conditions that we got in Germany, he was going to run very fast. In the preparations, he was well ahead of the training time and the effort he was putting in indicated that he was going to run very fast."

Current fatigue

Mills said Bolt's current fatigue is a direct result of the accident he had earlier this year.

"It affected his background that is why he is suffering from fatigue now, but it did not hamper the speed preparation because after two weeks, he was back training but he could only train on the straight."

Bolt, who was not his usual energetic self after a very long flight from Europe, said he was motivated to get even better than he is now as he "wants to be a legend" and will continue to work hard year after year.

The Jamaican star came in from high praise from Minister of Sport, Olivia Grange; Leader of the Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller; IAAF area representative, Teddy McCook, and president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association, Howard Aris.