Jamaica's World Junior Record (WJR) holder in the 200m, Usain Bolt, had his European debut put on hold indefinitely after he was pulled from the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic yesterday on advice from a London-based physiotherapist, Cameron Johnson.
By Paul A. ReidThe 17-year-old Bolt, who broke the WJR at the CARIFTA Games in Hamilton, Bermuda on April 11 when he stopped the clock at 19.93 seconds, which is also the fastest time in the world in the last two years, was scheduled to compete in the 200m at the meet in Ostrava and also at the Bergen Bislett Games in Norway on Friday.
A release from his United States-based management agency, Pace Sports Management sent to The Gleaner yesterday, said:
"Usain Bolt has withdrawn from the 200-metre events in Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic and the Bislett Games in Bergen, Norway. Upon arrival in London on Saturday, Usain was treated by physiotherapist Came-ron Johnson and he has advised Usain to withdraw from these competitions.
NOT SIGNIFICANT
"Although the injury is not significant, the risk of serious injury is too high to warrant participation in these events," the release said.
Bolt's Kingston-based physician, Dr Cyril Fletcher, told The Gleaner yesterday, however, that he had advised Bolt's handlers not to take the teenager to Europe as running him now would jeopardise his health for the rest of the season.
Dr. Fletcher said "... He (Bolt) had the hamstring injury, he did not recover at the rate we would like it to and we thought it unfit for him to run at this point in time."
Hours before the athlete left the island on Friday, Fitz Coleman, Bolt's coach at the IAAF High Performance Centre in Kingston, had expressed the same sentiment.
Bolt injured his left hamstring in training on April 30, a week after he ran a sub-45 seconds 400m leg for a Jamaica 4x400m relay team at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and missed the first Jamaica International Invitational track meet that was held at the National Stadium on May 7.
TAKEN NEWS IN STRIDE
In an interview from London yesterday, Bolt's local manager, Norman Peart, said the athlete has taken the news in stride, saying "...in his mind he was somewhat prepared for the news that he might not be able to run, he was not surprised but (is) happy at the fact that he is getting well and the second assessment proved that the World Junior Championships (in Italy in July) and the Olympics are still a possibility."
Meanwhile, Bolt will remain in London with his coach Mr Coleman where he will train and continue undergoing treatment with an osteopath, Perry Lutz as well as the physiotherapist. An osteopath is similar to a chiropractor and is a therapist who manipulates the skeleton and muscles, according to the Princeton University online medical dictionary.
