Stars

US sprinter Rodgers targets London Games success

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-13 13:39

NEW YORK - America's Mike Rodgers is on the fast track towards becoming his nation's leading sprinter and while he has set a target of winning a 2012 Olympics medal, he is well aware of the steps needed to achieve his goal.

Rodgers will defend his 60-meters title at the Millrose Games on Jan. 29 but the diminutive sprinter has set his sights on a much bigger reward in two years from now.

"That's a big dream for me and I would like to medal, some type of hardware," the 1.75 metre runner told reporters on Tuesday after a news conference promoting this month's meet at Madison Square Garden.

The 24-year-old Rodgers, who won the 100 meters at the U.S. outdoor championship last year in a wind-assisted 9.91 seconds, said all he had to do was improve his form in the final metres join the world's elite.

"If I could get my last 20 meters together I think I would be quite dangerous because my start is probably one of the best in the world," he said. "If I can hold on my last 20 meters, it would be something special to see."

STAMINA BUILDING

Rodgers said he was committed to running his best 60 meters this indoor season, improving his personal best of 6.51 and closing in on Maurice Greene's world mark of 6.39.

Then he plans to focus on building stamina.

"I'm going to work on it more after the indoors, so I won't take away from my foot speed for the 60," he said. "I'm going to run some 400s and a lot more 200s and see what happens."

Rodgers added that he was in awe of sprint king Usain Bolt, who owns both Olympic sprint crowns, both world sprint titles and world record times in both the 100 and 200 meters in those last two major championship tests.

The American raced against Bolt when the Jamaican claimed the 100 meters world record for the first time at the 2008 Reebok Grand Prix meet in New York, where Rodgers finished fourth. The American won the Reebok race last year.

"To be 6ft-5in (1.96m) and run like that, he's a freak of nature," Rodgers said in admiration. "The way he gets out of the blocks like that, like a 5ft-9in person."

Rodgers, one year older than Bolt, recalled what it felt like to be dwarfed by the world's greatest sprinter.

"It's like you're taking two or three strides and he's taking one," Rodgers said. "Oh my god. He's something else." (Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)