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Bolt: Rio will be my last Olympics

Xinhua, March 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Usain Bolt has confirmed he will retire after this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro despite calls to prolong his career.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist suggested in January that he could continue competing until the 2020 Games in Tokyo on the advice of his coach Glen Mills.

But the Jamaican said success in Rio would leave him with little reason to continue at the elite level.

"It'll definitely be my last Olympics," the 29-year-old told AFP on Monday. "It's going to be hard to go four more years for me, to keep the motivation that I want, especially if I accomplish what I want to in Rio.

"It's going to be hard to keep the motivation to go on for four more years so it'll definitely be my last one."

Bolt won golds in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the London 2012 Games in a repeat of his performances in Beijing four years earlier.

He is determined to extend his dominance in his three favorite events this August, with an extra focus on the 200m.

"My biggest dream at the Olympics is to win three gold medals again. That's my focus, that's what I want. And that's what I'm aiming for because that's my goal and that's my dream," Bolt said.

Despite holding the world record of 19.19 seconds for the 200m Bolt believes he has unfinished business in the event.

"I've said the only big thing, big time I want to run is the 200 metres," he said. "I'd love to try to go sub-19. That's the only thing I would really, really want because that's one of my goals.

"I've always talked about and always wanted it so for me, that's something I look forward to." Endi