Reuters - Bolt says he may take up long jump

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Bolt says he may take up long jump

Thursday, Aug 27, 2009 3:33PM UTC

By Brian Homewood

ZURICH (Reuters) - World 100 and 200 meters champion Usain Bolt is also fixing his sights on the long jump.

"I definitely want to try the long jump," the triple Olympic gold medalist told a news conference on Thursday. "I think I would be a really good long jumper.

"I've messed around with the long jump since I've been at school and I'm definitely going to give it a try."

American Mike Powell, whose long jump world record of 8.95 meters has stood since the 1991 world championships, said last Friday that Jamaican Bolt could jump nine meters in the event.

Bolt won the 100 and 200 at this month's world championships in Berlin, breaking the world records in each event.

The Jamaican, who is due to run in the 100 and 4x100 relay at Zurich's Weltklasse meeting on Friday, said he had not yet discussed the long jump seriously with his coach or set a date for when he could take up the event.

"It's just a case of me wanting to try it," he said.

Bolt, who spent an hour at Zurich railway station at lunchtime signing around 3,000 autographs, said the recent success of Jamaican athletes in sprint events was because many had stayed at home to train rather than move to the United States.

"When you go to the States you get a lot of injuries because you have to run week after week," he said. "I have a good coach who understands this.

"The guys who are doing well are the ones who stayed in Jamaica, they can decide when they want to run."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)