MONACO (AP) — IAAF President Lamine Diack has reminded triple Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of his “responsibility” as a champion.
Diack said Tuesday he has spoken to the 22-year-old Jamaican sprinter about the extra pressures he would face following his stunning performances in Beijing last August.
“You’re the key athlete in our sport and you have a responsibility,” Diack told a small group of reporters. “He's not a movie star or singer – he's a champion. (So) if you are fit, you make the performance or you are finished.”
Bolt won three gold medals in Beijing last year, all in world record times, but has made off-the-track headlines since then by being photographed in nightclubs, talking about marijuana use and crashing his car last month.
“Now you have a major responsibility,” Diack said he told Bolt. “Now you are the major star.”
Bolt set world records in the 100 and 200 meters in Beijing and was a member of the record-breaking relay team.
He broke Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey's time in the rarely run 150 meters on Sunday, May 17 in a street race in Manchester, England. Diack praised his performance but said he doesn't expect street races to become a trend.
“Our sport is in the stadium. The future is not on the street,” Diack said. “This is only for promotion.”
Photo: IAAF President Lamine Diack
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