KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP): World 100 metres champion Kim Collins is furious at a British newspaper that quoted him as saying he would consider taking performance-enhancing drugs if he were losing races.
The 28-year-old sprint ace from the tiny Caribbean islands of St Kitts and Nevis said Wednesday he was determined to get to the bottom of the story printed in the Mail on Sunday newspaper last month. "There has been an article printed in England that I said I would take drugs," said Collins in Jamaica where he is training and preparing for the Jamaica International track meeting.
"I would never in my right mind say to any reporter or not even to a fellow athlete that I would take drugs. People around me and the people who know me know that I would never say something like that. I am going to get to the bottom of this."
After winning his surprise gold medal at last year's World Championships in Paris, the lightly built Collins said he did not lift weights and hardly touched vitamin supplements. He said his preparations for the Athens Olympics in August were going smoothly. "My preparation for the Olympics has been going quite well. I have been having much better days than previous seasons mainly because I am more comfortable and more relaxed," Collins said.
Sprint ace Kim Collins admits the pressure is on for him to add an Olympic medal to the World Championship 100m gold he won in Paris last year. The St Kitts and Nevis star says his preparations for Athens are progressing nicely but he is feeling the weight of expectation from the public. "Definitely there is a lot more pressure. I was home last week and when I am home, all I hear is about is this wonderful Olympic gold that no-one has yet seen,'' he told PA International.
"Everywhere I turn from the drunk on the street to the politicians there is expectation that I will win a gold medal. However, I try not to get involved with the people who put bets on me and say we are depending on you - stating that if I don't win, I should not come home. I try to put that out of my mind and focus on my preparation." "My preparation for the Olympics has been going quite well," confirmed Collins, who will be competing in both the 100 and 200 metres at the Jamaica International track meeting (7 May) and at the Olympic Games."
Collins won the world title in Paris in 10.07 seconds and has set his sights on adding the Olympic 100m gold medal to his world and Commonwealth titles. The 27-year-old from St Kitts and Nevis has kept a low-profile on the circuit but as world champion he knows he goes to Athens as the favourite. "I surprised everyone when I took the world title in Paris but this year everyone will be expecting me to do well," said Collins. "I'm determined to take my chance to be Olympic 100m Champion." "Gold in Athens is my ultimate goal this year," the Caribbean sprinter added. "It won't be easy but on a good day I know I can win, no matter who lines up against me in the final eight.
Kim Collins "I will try to keep my focus and approach each race as I have in the past and hopefully the medals will keep coming." Collins will tune-up for his Olympic bid by taking part in a trio of international meetings in Britain this summer.
Olympic 100m and 200m champion Marion Jones and men's World 100m champion Kim Collins have signed up for the Norwich Union London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on 30 July 2004. Jones and Collins will race in London at the IAAF Super Grand Prix status meeting just three weeks before the athletics programme begins in Athens, where both will start among the favourites for gold.
Age: 28 years 42 days
Progression: personal best in BOLD
55 m
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2001 6.24Ai NR 2 WAC Reno NV 24 Feb
60 m
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 6.53i NR 1h1 NCAA Fayetteville AR 10 Mar
2001 6.58i 1h2 NCAA Fayetteville AR 9 Mar
2003 6.53i NR 2 WC Birmingham 14 Mar
100 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
1996 10.27 0.1 3h3 OG Atlanta GA 26 Jul
1998 10.16 2.5 2h1 JUCO Edwardsville IL 15 May
1998 10.18 0.5 2 JUCO Edwardsville IL 16 May
1999 10.21 -0.1 2r2 Sun Angel Tempe AZ 10 Apr
2000 10.02 3.6 1r1 UTA Open Arlington TX 6 May
2000 10.13A 0.6 1 WAC El Paso TX 20 May
2001 9.99 2.1 1r1 TexasR Austin TX 7 Apr
2001 10.04A -0.2 1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
2002 9.98 NR 0.2 1 CWG Manchester 27 Jul
2003 9.92 2.8 1r2 TexasR Austin TX 5 Apr
2003 9.99 1.3 3rA WK Z�rich 15 Aug
2004 10.02 3.2 2r3 Arl Inv Arlington TX 27 Mar
2004 10.27 0.0 1 Lamentin 23 Apr
200 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
1998 20.88 1 Az CC Mesa AZ 7 May
1998 20.78 2.5 6 JUCO Edwardsville IL 16 May
1999 20.43 1 Mesa AZ 4 May
2000 20.18 3.5 1r1 UTA Open Arlington TX 6 May
2000 20.31A 1.3 1h1 WAC El Paso TX 19 May
2001 20.08 5.1 1h3 NCAA Eugene OR 30 May
2001 20.20 NR 0.1 3= WC Edmonton 9 Aug
2002 20.28 2.6 3r5 TCU Inv Fort Worth TX 20 Apr
2002 20.49 0.2 3 Athletissima Lausanne 2 Jul
2003 20.40 2.2 1r4 ModR Modesto CA 10 May
2004 20.98 0.0 6 Jam Inv Kingston 7 May
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 20.52i NR 3 NCAA Fayetteville AR 10 Mar
2001 20.55i 1r2 NCAA Fayetteville AR 9 Mar
400 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 46.93 3 TCU Inv Fort Worth TX 22 Apr
in 2004:
2004
100 m Winstreak: 1 (finals)
10.02 3.2 2r3 Arl Inv Arlington TX 27 Mar
10.27 SB 0.0 1 Lamentin 23 Apr
200 m
20.98 SB 0.0 6 Jam Inv Kingston 7 May
in Major Championships:
60 m
2003 6.59 1h5 WC Birmingham 14 Mar
2003 6.60 4s2 WC Birmingham 14 Mar
2003 6.53 NR 2 WC Birmingham 14 Mar
100 m
1996 10.27 0.1 3h3 OG Atlanta GA 26 Jul
1999 10.31 -1.3 2 CAC Bridgetown 25 Jun
1999 10.22 0.6 1s2 CAC Bridgetown 25 Jun
1999 10.50 -0.9 4h6 WC Sevilla 21 Aug
2000 10.19 0.3 2q2 OG Sydney 22 Sep
2000 10.39 0.2 2h6 OG Sydney 22 Sep
2000 10.17 -0.3 7 OG Sydney 23 Sep
2000 10.20 0.4 4s1 OG Sydney 23 Sep
2001 10.31A -0.2 1s1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
2001 10.04A -0.2 1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
2001 10.30 -0.3 1h1 WC Edmonton 4 Aug
2001 WGMALF 10.00 w 2q1 WC Edmonton 4 Aug
2001 10.12 -1.2 3s1 WC Edmonton 5 Aug
2001 10.07 -0.2 6 WC Edmonton 5 Aug
2002 10.39 -0.5 3h3 CWG Manchester 26 Jul
2002 10.20 0.7 2q2 CWG Manchester 26 Jul
2002 10.08 0.2 1s1 CWG Manchester 27 Jul
2002 9.98 NR 0.2 1 CWG Manchester 27 Jul
2002 10.06 -0.3 2 WCp Madrid 20 Sep
2003 10.13 0.6 1 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
2003 10.14 3.0 2s3 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
2003 10.44 0.6 1h1 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
2003 10.09 0.9 2h9 WC Saint-Denis 24 Aug
2003 10.02 0.6 1q4 WC Saint-Denis 24 Aug
2003 10.16 0.5 4s1 WC Saint-Denis 25 Aug
2003 10.07 0.0 1 WC Saint-Denis 25 Aug
200 m
1999 20.95 0.1 6h1 WC Sevilla 24 Aug
2000 20.52 0.5 2h3 OG Sydney 27 Sep
2000 20.47 0.0 3q2 OG Sydney 27 Sep
2000 20.57 0.3 5s2 OG Sydney 28 Sep
2001 20.77A 0.6 1s1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 21 Jul
2001 20.55A -1.5 1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 21 Jul
2001 20.41 0.5 2h7 WC Edmonton 7 Aug
2001 20.25 -0.3 2q3 WC Edmonton 7 Aug
2001 20.26 1.0 4s1 WC Edmonton 8 Aug
2001 20.20 NR 0.1 3= WC Edmonton 9 Aug
2002 DNS h4 CWG Manchester 28 Jul
2003 20.61 3.3 1h2 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
2003 DNS CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
