Jamaica’s Usain Bolt vowed Monday to defend his Olympic sprint titles in Rio but, buoyed by the West Indies’ World Twenty20 triumph, declared that cricket was his “first love”.
Bolt, who said in August that he was considering swapping sprinting for the long jump to provide a fresh challenge ahead of the 2016 Games, said he had decided to defend the titles he won in Beijing and London.
“Rio is about going and defending my titles,” the reigning 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay Olympic champion told reporters during a visit to New Zealand.
“I don’t want to try any different events at Rio because at Rio I will just defend my titles to show the world that there is a possibility that I can do it again — to do the three-peat, that is the focus.” Speaking a day after the West Indies overcame Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final to claim their first world title in 33 years, Bolt said he loved cricket. “It was my first love but I don’t play much now. The only time I play now is with my brother,” said the runner, who played junior cricket before turning to track and earlier this year flirted with playing in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 league.
