It's back to pumping iron for Bolt as he seeks more power after a tough win over Powell in Paris
It's back to pumping iron for Bolt as he seeks more power after a tough win over Powell in Paris
Paris: Sprint star Usain Bolt will head home to Jamaica for two weeks of intensive core strengthening as his comeback from a nagging Achilles tendon injury saw him notch up another 100m victory.
Bolt, the reigning world record holder in the 100 and 200m, ran a meet record of 9.84 seconds at Friday's Paris Diamond League, with Asafa Powell 0.07sec back and another Jamaican, Yohan Blake, in third on 9.95.
But the 23-year-old triple Olympic and double world sprint champion did not look at his very best and was matched by the fast-starting Powell through to the last 20 metres of the race.
"I'm happy to get through the race having won and suffered no injuries," said Bolt. "I'm definitely satisfied, but I'm a little bit weak and need some work on my core strength.
"My drive phase was weak and I had no power," he said in reference to his key strength over the blue riband eventu00a0-- the phase from the start through to the 50-metre mark when a sprinter uses his power to build up acceleration.
"I have to go to the gym do more abdominal and back work. I have two weeks in Jamaica, that should be enough... to get in decent shape and come back.
"It wasn't the best race I've run. I thought it was going to be quicker." Bolt added: "Over the first 40 to 50 metres, I think he (Powell) had me.
"The last 50 metres are the best part of my race but it didn't show today. "If the first 50 are right, automatically the second 50 show as the best part of the race, but it wasn't the case."
Bolt said he had not been hampered by his Achilles tendon, an injury which saw him miss several meets, the Jamaican making his comeback only last week in Lausanne.
"In my stride-outs, I felt nothing," he said. "But I'm still a little bit stiff in the mornings. "My doctor has told me that in two or three more weeks I should be good and ready to go."
