World record holder Usain Bolt arrived at the Jamaican Olympic team's Birmingham training base on Tuesday for his final Games preparations.
The triple Olympic gold medallist arrived as part of the 50-strong Jamaican squad who will be training at the University of Birmingham during the Olympics. The five-time world champion stopped to meet with fans who asked for autographs and photos as he headed to the University’s Monroe Sports Centre.
Gary Peal, Training Camp Coordinator on behalf of Birmingham City Council, said: "I can confirm that we've got about 90 per cent of the team safely accredited and relaxing into their environment for the next 10 days."
The team have chosen a secluded approach to their Games preparations and will not allow the public to watch them train apart from a selected group of schoolchildren and members of athletics clubs who have been invited to a session on July 25.
The university has had to deal with a variety of requests from the Jamaican team such as providing a Jamaican menu and supplying supersized beds for 6ft 5 ins Bolt and his other tall team-mates.
Zena Wooldridge, director of sport at the university, said: “It’s tremendously exciting news that the world’s fastest man will prepare for the Olympics in Birmingham.
“It confirms Birmingham’s status as a great sporting city, and the university’s desire to support that.
“Whilst the university has produced several home-grown Olympic athletes in recent years, it’s a thrill to have a team with the global pedigree of Jamaica on campus.”
As Bolt was settling into life in Birmingham his training partner Yohan Blake was declaring his dominance on the track in Italy.
Twenty-one-year-old Blake, who took advantage of Bolt’s false start elimination at the World Championships last year to take the crown, stormed to victory in 9.85 seconds in Lucerne.
The rivalry between the Jamaicans was increased last month when Blake beat Bolt in both the 100m and 200m at their national trials. Following his defeat at the trials Bolt also withdrew from the Diamond League meet in Monaco with an injury concern which raised doubts as to whether he was going to be able to repeat his 2008 Olympic success.
Bolt now insists he is fit and ready to defend his titles and despite a couple of slower runs he still has three of the five fastest 100m times in the world this year.
By Sophia Heath
www.telegraph.co.uk
