By Michael Gleeson
Usain Bolt insists it's the idea that excites him. It's not about the money – he gets paid squillions wherever he competes – it's about the idea. And having fun.
His career has been about making his sport fun and watchable, so the idea of a new concept for his sport that tries to do both makes it both.
Lightning Down Under: Usain Bolt in Melbourne on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
The Jamaican famously loves cricket. And this he admits is the Twenty20 of athletics. This is the exciting, distilled, high-energy teams event that will save athletics from itself. Well it might. With Usain Bolt competing in Australia, there is a chance.
Bolt likes the idea of mixing things up. He likes running different-length races in unusual places. Like down the Mall in London, street races in Europe and beach races in America. So the chance to be captain and coach of the Usain Bolt All Stars team (well with that name it would be a bit odd if someone else was captain or coach) against five other teams from around the world (most likely two from Australia/New Zealand and one each from Japan, China and England) as part of the new Nitro series was irresistible.
"For me when John [AA board member, former athlete and friend of Bolt's John Steffensen] came to me with this it was like 'yes this is it' something different. One thing I have always said over the years is I like competing outside of the normal things – I like doing 150s, doing 110. You know what I mean?" Bolt said yesterday after he was announced as the face of the new Nitro series.
"It was mind-blowing. I said 'this will work, I want to be a part of this', so for me it was easy to be a part of this Nitro athletics.
"For me, this is the right move forward. I am still excited about it, the whole concept of having a team because with track and field we are individuals now having a team we can work together. Its about points.
"I am going to be the coach. I am that person. I am very competitive so I will be shouting at everybody 'get it right, work harder'. So, for me, it excites me because I am not usually a part of a bigger team, so it will be 12 males 12 females and I am definitely looking forward to it. It's going to be great."
The format and the number of events are still to be finalised or revealed but the Nitro series will be held over three nights in Melbourne between February 4 and 11 (two Saturday nights and a midweek meet) at Lakeside Stadium.
It will be broadcast on Channel Seven and there is interest from overseas broadcasters as well as more athletes to come to compete. Especially now the best the world has ever seen is going to be here to compete.
The whole concept appeals to Bolt's idea of sport as fun and entertainment first and foremost .So he jokes – we think – that he could do the long jump in Melbourne.
"Yeah that'd be cool, you know because I want to help the team and I can do what I want, I'm at the part of my career where I don't have to stress too much about doing long jump, but now I actually can do it."
But even he drew the line at a 400. He hates the 400. He will outsource that.
What he will run in is the relay – he loves the relay – and this will be a mixed sex of two men and two women.
Australian 400-metre runner Morgan Mitchell laughed that she wouldn't hesitate in choosing which team to compete for if Bolt wanted her on his All Star team rather than an Australian team.
"If Bolt says am I on his team? Yes [I'm on his team]," she laughed.
Bolt added: "She wants to be part of a winning team." That would be the one with the nine-time Olympic gold medallist in it.