Bolt prepares for historic farewell

LONDON, England:

The world's fastest man will take the first of his final strides as an athlete today at the World Championships in London and he already has a winning time in mind - 9.8 seconds.

Bolt, who has gone as fast as 9.95 seconds in the most recent of his three 100m races this season, has set the bar, predicting that he would need to run a similar time to the 9,81 seconds that gave him gold at the Rio Olympics last year, if he is to close his career, where he has spent most of it - on top of the medal podium.

The 11-time world and eight time Olympic champion gets his final campaign underway at 8:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m Jamaica time) in the heats and the sprinting superstar says he can't wait to get on the track.

Fellow Jamaicans Yohan Blake, Julian Forte and Senoj-Jay Givans will also feature in the heats with long jumpers Damar Forbes and Ramone Bailey as well as discus athletes Fedrick Dacres and Traves Smikle also geared to get the Jamaican charge going during the qualifying round of their respective events inside the London Stadium on the opening day of action.

"I'm excited, I can't wait to get out there," Bolt said. "I think it will have to be 9.8 seconds low, perhaps the same time it took me to win at the Olympics," Bolt said when quizzed about the time he thinks it will take to win gold on Saturday. "I think it will take the same time to win here or close to that."

Bolt won the Rio Olympic gold medal in 9.81 seconds to finish ahead of Justin Gatlin, 9.89 and Andre De Grasse, 9.91.

Men's Discus Qualifying

1:20 p.m. Traves Smikle

2:45 p.m. Fedrick Dacres

Men's Long Jump Qualifying

1:30 p.m. Damar Forbes

1:30 p.m. Ramone Bailey

Men's 100m Heats

2:20 p.m. Usain Bolt

Yohan Blake

Julian Forte

Senoj-Jay Givans