TWO-time Olympics 400 metres champion and record holder American Michael Johnson is backing Jamaica’s Usain Bolt to become the first athlete to simultaneously hold world records in the 100m, 200, and 400 metres.

“There has never been anyone who’s held the world records at 100, 200 and 400 metres and he (Bolt) has the potential to do that,” Johnson said during a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, yesterday.

“I think we can say that records will be broken, but I would venture to say that nobody is ever going to hold the world records at 100, 200 and 400 again if he (Bolt) does it. I don’t think there will ever be a person that could do that,” added Johnson.

The American, who established the 400m world record of 43.18 seconds, while winning his fourth World Championships title in Seville, Spain, is in Jamaica producing a one-hour documentary of Bolt to be aired on the BBC.

The four other members of the BBC crew, who arrived on the island on the weekend, are executive producer Stephen Lyle, producer Leon Mann, cameraman Ian Watts and sound engineer Albert Bailey.

Bolt, who established new world record marks of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds in the 100m and 200m in Berlin this summer, currently has a personal best of 45.28 in the 400m.

Meanwhile, Johnson, who lost his once untouchable 200 world record of 19.32 seconds to Bolt at last year’s Beijing Olympics, believes the Jamaican could be unbeatable over the 400m. “I think it’s just natural for him to challenge the 400m,” said Johnson, also known as ‘Superman’ in his dominatant years on the track.

Asked what the triple Olympic and World Championships gold medallist needed to do to beat the American LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner, who have dominated the event over the last five years, Johnson replied: “Well right now, not very much because they’re not running that fast. They didn’t run 43 seconds last year, so I think he (Bolt) could step on the track this year and run 43 seconds, I honestly do,” he said.

Merritt, who won the 400m titles at Beijing Olympics and Berlin World Championships, has a personal best of 43.75secs, while Wariner, gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2005 Helsinki and 2007 Osaka World Championships, has a best of 43.45secs.

“I think ultimately Bolt can run under 43 seconds and run 42 seconds, but that’s when you really have to start training and the training programme has to be one that’s developed to play to his strengths, but at the same time develop some speed endurance,” Johnson argued.

“Athletics is a difficult sport, albeit it doesn’t look difficult for Usain because he wins all of the races, but you have to have motivation to continue... I think that there’s going to come a point where he’s going to need new motivation and I think that it’s just a natural for him to run the 400,” added the American.

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