Jamaica's Usain Bolt has been a star for so long that you almost have to pinch yourself to remember that he is only 21.

In fact, Mr Bolt won't celebrate his 22nd birthday until August 21, at which time the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing, the ultimate competition for international athletes, will be in full swing.

His sensational run in the 100 metres at the International Invitational Meet in Kingston on Saturday night is yet more evidence of the extraordinary talent of the young man from Trelawny. Talent that has been obvious to the track and field world since he was a 14-15 year-old student at the William Knibb High School.

To put Mr Bolt's Saturday night run in stark terms: His time of 9.76secs is the second fastest ever. It was only 0.02secs slower than the world record 9.74secs set in Italy last year by compatriot, Mr Asafa Powell.

Done by a man who was presumably running the 100 metres as part of his speed-work preparation for the 200 metres at the Olympics.

Mr Bolt has run only a few 100-metre events at the competitive level and track athletic purists do not believe he is ideal for the short sprint.

For one, he is close to six-and-a-half feet tall which in technical terms means that he may struggle to match the explosive starts of smaller-framed competitors with a lower centre of gravity.

That handicap at the start of the short sprint appeared to be reality on Saturday night. The visual evidence suggests that at 30 metres, Mr Bolt still trailed the leaders. It is almost mind boggling to contemplate what may have happened had he matched the competition at the starter's gun.
All of which could place Mr Bolt and his handlers - not least coach Mr Glen Mills - in a quandary as they seek to walk the correct path leading up to and at the Olympics in August.

That Mr Bolt is at his best at the 200 metres - as evidenced by his 19.75 clocking last year in Kingston - is not in question. All his chievements, including his World Junior record of 19.93 seconds in 2004 - the first time any junior had broken the 20 second barrier - and his World Championships silver medalist last year would appear to confirm that the 200 metres is his pet event. Once he stays fit he will be one of the favourites for the 200-metre Gold in Beijing.

Experts have also suggested that his large frame, presumably matched by natural physical strength, makes him ideal for the 400 metres. There were shouts of 'I told you so' when at 16 in 2003, Mr Bolt ran 45.35 seconds over the 400 metres at Boys' and Girls' Championships in Kingston.

Of course, in terms of the combination of speed and endurance the 400-metre race is the ultimate. It requires a high level of tolerance for very hard work and pain. Mr Bolt and his handlers may justifiably feel that at this stage of his development he is not ready for that event.

They now have to ask themselves whether he is ready to take on the 100-metre event at the Olympics, in addition to his pet 200m. The key element is the rounds. The Olympics is not about a one-off race. The 100m and 200m involve four gruelling rounds each, with the semi-final and final requiring peak performance.

Bearing in mind his extraordinary run on Saturday night, Mr Bolt and his handlers will have to ensure that they discard emotion. They need to consider only the hard realities as they decide whether he is ready, mentally and physically, for the 100-metre sprint at the Olympics.

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