KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Former American star Michael Johnson reckons Jamaican Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt can break his 400-metre world record. Bolt, the 100m and 200m world-record holder, has indicated that he would like to add the 4x400m to his 100m, 200m and 4x100m schedule at the 2012 Olympics in London.
But his coach Glen Mills reacted by saying that Bolt would have to run the 400m and finish in one of the top spots at Jamaica’s Olympic trials in June in order to qualify outright for the mile-relay team.
There are no plans in place for Bolt to run the 400m at the trials and the decision to include him would rest with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).
“He was a 400m runner before he was a 100m and 200m runner,” Johnson told ESPN. “He has always been great as a 200m runner, but he was a good 400m runner when he was very young.”
“He has the build to be a great 400m runner and he certainly has the speed. Without a doubt, I think if he chose to make the switch at some point in his career and decided he was going to train for the 400m, I am certain he would break the world record and probably run under 43 seconds and become the first person to run 42 seconds,” Johnson added.
“I’ve heard all types of rumours, whether he is going to run 400m or 4x400m relay. I think obviously he’s the best sprinter in the world, he’s the best there has ever been. He is an incredible athlete and I think he will be focused and ready to go next year to defend his titles at 100m and 200m, which he has said he wants to do and (Jamaica) have the best 4x100m relay in the world at this point.
“Beyond that, anything else is just speculation and I think we will just have to wait to see if he decides to do anything else. But I think he is in a great position to repeat (2008) and I wouldn’t put my money on anyone else but him for 100m and 200m,” said Johnson, who is the holder of the 400-metre record in 43.18 seconds.