WCH Tokyo 25 brushstroke (© World Athletics)
A selection of quotes from athletes appearing at a press conference at Puma House on Thursday (11).
Bolt, Duplantis, Alfred, Petros
Usain BOLT (JAM) – 11-times world champion; men’s 100m & 200m world record holder
On his 100m world record of 9.58 seconds:
“It was never something that I thought about or trained towards. When I started doing the 100m in 2008 I was just focusing on winning an Olympic gold medal.
“It was a lot of work taking on two events (after just doing the 200m) so I just wanted to be the best that I could be at 100m. It was never about breaking the world record.”
On whether the record is likely to be broken:
“No, I’m not worried about it, not worried at all. I think in time, with new spikes and new technology, there will be top guys who come up who will do well and may be able to break it. You have to have the talent as well as the technology.”
On how he’ll feel watching the world championships live:
“I’m excited to be at my first world championships to watch, excited to see the Jamaican team compete, to see the vibe. I’ve never seen it from this angle but it’s something I’m looking forward to.
“It’ll be more stressful for me watching my fellow Jamaicans run than it was competing. I get so nervous watching them. When I was on the track I was never nervous.”
On the current crop of Jamaican sprinters:
“They have shown this season that they are doing extremely well, so I am excited to see their performances here. Hopefully, I’ll be able to present a gold medal to one of them.
“We do have a very good chance here. There is no reason they shouldn’t go one-two because they are the fastest guys in the world this year and they are competing well. I am very confident they can get it done.”
On fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who’s competing at her ninth world championships in Tokyo:
“When I see Shelly-Ann still running as fast as ever with new spikes I do think, if I’d known that spikes would have got to that level maybe I would have continued a bit longer. It would have been great to compete in the new spikes and see how fast I could be.
“Shelly has been so great. We came up together and seen how much she’s been great for sport in general – her longevity shows that. I couldn’t have done it. I’m happy to see her here enjoying herself and making her country proud.”
On how he would have handled current world and Olympic champion Noah LYLES (USA), who claims he’s going to beat the Jamaicans:
“I think Noah’s as crazy to think that as Justin (GATLIN, USA) was (in my day). For me it’s just talk. Me and Gatlin pushed back and forth all the time, but he came up in the era when trash talking was normal to everybody.
“But I never listened to anyone anyway. I knew if I was prepared and ready he could say whatever he wanted. It would never be a problem.”
Mondo DUPLANTIS (SWE) – men’s pole vault
On competing in Tokyo’s heat and humidity:
“I am really grateful I am not a marathon runner. I do very short sprints so I won’t be very much affected by the heat. I feel good, I feel activated and pretty calm.”
On the importance of speed to his event:
“It (pole vault) is about being as fast as possible on the runway. I do consider myself a bit of a sprinter.”
On whether he would like to be a sprinter:
“I know what I am good at and I think I will stick to that. But I actually do get a bit jealous of sprinters. There is the most crazy part of the energy (at the beginning of a sprint), which is different to pole vault, and so I am jealous about these guys who experience that all the time.”
On being back in the stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2021 when there was no crowd:
“I am super excited to be back in this place and now to have the chance to experience the culture of this city because we did not really get that before. I want to jump well but also I just want to see the city.”
“It (the Tokyo Olympics) was just very strange in a certain way, and not as enjoyable. I am really excited to see what the crowd is going to offer.”
On living and training in Sweden:
“There are really cold and dark winters. But although that can be tough, you get the most beautiful summers in the entire world. That is probably the strangest and probably nicest thing about seasons Sweden.
On what he focuses on when standing on the runway:
“It is just confidence. It is something I have built up through the years. I do a lot of jumps and doing a lot helps you get to a good state. You need that kind of self-confidence so you don’t overthink things.
“I started very young. I have done it so many times, I get used to it.”
Julien ALFRED (LCA) – women’s 100m & 200m
On how her life has changed since winning the 100m title at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
“Now, every time I step on the track, there can be more pressure but I am using it to my advantage. Winning the Olympic gold also comes with more confidence.
“Life is completely different too. I get recognised everywhere. People look at me differently, ask for autographs. I really like my home, I love Saint Lucia, so it is good to go back home on the island.”
Amanal PETROS (GER) – men’s marathon
On preparing for Tokyo’s heat and humidity:
“I was training in Kenya where it was about 15 or 16 degrees, so it is a huge difference here. The main thing is I will have to be strong mentally to push through it.
“But I am well prepared and very excited to have the chance to run fast here in four days’ time.”
On the key to his breakthrough and his hopes for Tokyo 2025:
“With marathons it’s not that easy to find fast courses so it was never easy before to break the record.
“Championships are sometimes very tactical and with the heat it won’t be so fast, but I am hoping to run fast again this year, maybe even to go under 2:04 and get close to the Kenyans. I hope I can beat them.”
