Usain Bolt would “love” to be part of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but said the decision is in the hands of his coach.
A Commonwealth gold is one of the few medals Bolt does not have in his collection. He never fully committed himself to Glasgow 2014 in the past but he now appears keen to compete in front of fans in the UK again.
The six-time Olympic champion is reconsidering retiring after the 2016 Rio Games and is likely to compete for a further year after that.
Speaking at a book signing of his new autobiography Faster Than Lightning in London, the Jamaican said: “I have said to my coach that I would love to go to the Commonwealths. It’s something that I haven’t done before.
“It’s up to him but I have said to him that I want to be a part of it. My coach will think about it and we will see what he says. I am not 100% sure. We will discuss and see what he says.”
The 27-year-old has not competed at the Commonwealth Games before. In 2006 he was due to go to Melbourne but pulled out because of a hamstring injury.
With no World Championships or Olympic Games next year, Bolt will have no major global event in which to compete in 2014.
He said he will spend his time concentrating on trying to break his 100m and 200m world records.
His involvement in Glasgow 2014 would be a major boost for the Games.
Earlier this month Games ambassador Sir Chris Hoy said: “I think it’s crucial to the success of the Games when the big names turn up and support them. And apart from anything else, it’s still an amazing feeling to win a Commonwealth Games medal for your home nation and for athletes like Usain Bolt, Mark Cavendish it’s still a big deal for them to be Commonwealth champion.”
Bolt maintained his status as the world’s top sprinter by claiming three golds at the World Championships in Moscow this summer.
The 100m, 200m and 4x100m Olympic champion has won almost every honour during his career but is thinking of continuing to compete after the next Olympics in Brazil.
“I am definitely reconsidering (retiring after 2016),” he said.
“I think my fans especially have really voiced their concern about me retiring. They think I should carry on and so do my sponsors. I have discussed it with my coach and he says it is possible. We will see what happens but it’s on the cards that I will extend it by one more year.”
He will become the oldest 100m champion of all time if he wins gold at the 2020 Japan Games, when he will be on the verge of turning 34 but he insists he has no desire to extend his career that far.
“I have not thought about (Japan),” Bolt said.
“It’s a long way away but if I win the next Olympics, I will have done everything I wanted to do in my career so there would be no reason to continue (to Japan 2020).”