World 100 and 200-metre record holder Usain Bolt was pleased with his fitness improvement Saturday after winning a 400-metre heat in his first individual race of the year.
The 28-year-old Jamaican sprint star won in 46.37 seconds at the Foster Classic in Kingston and said after the race that he is happy with his conditioning and coach Glen Mills appears to be as well.
"It's coming on," Bolt said of his fitness. "I think I am doing pretty well in training. The coach is happy as far as I can tell."
Two weeks ago, Bolt ran the anchor leg for the Racers Lions team at the Gibson Relays in Kingston to open his 2015 campaign.
Mills is having Bolt compete in more early season events in his homeland to bolster his shape for the upcoming outdoor season and world championships in August at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium.
"We need more races to get sharper because I haven't run a lot over the past couple of years, so I just need a lot more races to get into race shape," Bolt said.
The eight-time world champion is a reigning Olympic champion in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay, having swept all three events at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.
Bolt set world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200 at Berlin in 2009 and also helped Jamaica's 4x100 relay to a world record.
Bolt has confirmed two meets for later in the year, on July 4 at Stade de France and July 9 in Lausanne, both of those after the Jamaican championships to decide the world meet squad.
Bolt plans more Jamaican appearances before he competes internationally.
"I definitely I think I will run a little more locally, but I am not sure," Bolt said. "It all depends on how training goes.
"But knowing my coach, I think I may run a few more races."
Source: AFP