THE LOCAL management team of World and Olympic 100- and 200-metre champion, Usain Bolt, has dissociated itself from reports linking the star athlete with a lucrative new deal in China.

The deal, according to reports from Anza Marketing Group Inc and its head, Ajani Williams, could see Bolt earning US$115 million over five years.

Respecting puma's terms

A release on Tuesday from Bolt's publicist, Carole Beckford, and attorney-at-law Rudolph Muir, said the management "respects" the terms of the current contract the athlete has with his shoe sponsors Puma.

"The management wishes to make it clear that it respects the terms of the valid contract which it has with Puma, which terms restrict the management to have any direct contact with a competitor of Puma ... until after 2010 when the present contract ends," the release said.

The release went on to say that even when the contract ends the management is also respectful of Puma's right to match any offer put on the table.