Athletics: Bolt regrets new starting blocks

OSLO: Usain Bolt scorched to his third 100m victory on his European tour as part of warm-up for the Jamaican Olympic trials, but was left bemoaning a change to the starting blocks which he said slows him down. Bolt, who boasts a whopping UK size 13 shoe size, said his feet were just too big for the altered blocks, provided at all Diamond League meets and next summer's Olympics by Swiss timing company Omega. That said, it did not stop him reeling back in Asafa Powell in the last 20 metres of the race, winning in 9.79 seconds. "The race was okay as a whole," said Bolt. "My execution wasn't perfect, but I can't complain."

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.