ST JOHN’S, Antigua – National sprinter Daniel “Bakka” Bailey is hoping that he can, for the first time in his career, make the finals of the 100 metres event at the 2012 Olympic Games slated for July 27 to August 12, 2012 in London.
The athlete, who is currently back in Jamaica where he is in preparation for both the IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2012 Olympics, reported that his training has been going well and he is looking towards doing well at upcoming events.
“Training has been going great. I came back (to Jamaica) a little off, and after about a week or two, I did some exercises to see if my hamstring could manage the workout and it ended up well; so I started training hard and with more intensity,” he said.
“With the way training is going right now, I stand the chance of making the finals and I never really made an Olympic final and that’s the aim for the Olympic Games, and when you make the finals, anything can happen after that.
“I have gained weight, gained probably about six pounds. I weigh probably 180 pounds right now which is where I want to be,” the sprinter added.
Bailey, whose only medal at a major world event came two years ago when he won silver at the Indoors, said he is not bothered with not having achieved his goal of capturing a medal at the World Games or at the Olympics just yet.
According to the sprinter, nothing happens before it’s time.
“I am just training, doing what I am supposed to do and when the time comes for Bailey to shine and go for his gold or get his gold or break a world record, it will come; so I don’t really stress on that. I just focus on training, staying healthy, and just performing,” he said.
“I was just sitting in my bed thinking that this is going to be a great season for me. I don’t watch people because I know what I am capable of doing.”
Addressing suggestions that he may be distracted in Jamaica and should consider seeking another location for training, Bailey said this is not the case.
As a matter of a fact, Bailey said, moving now would only impede the progress he has made.
“For me to take up myself and go and train someplace else is not making any sense, not when it is the year of World Championships and the year of Olympic Games. But even if you change coach or the training grounds, your body takes two years to get adopted to that programme and that coach’s workout and I am not going to take that chance,” he said.
“I don’t have a problem training in Jamaica, so I don’t know what they mean by distracted. If I was training in Antigua, I would have said, ‘Yeah, I am distracted with studying cars.’ But in Jamaica it is business. This is what I do for a living.”
The 2012 World Indoor Championships is slated to run from March 9 to 11 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Bailey is also expected to take part in a number of Diamond League events leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games.
