The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England — Although the track and field segment of the 2012 Olympic Games will get started today, Grand Bahamian Michael Mathieu will be one of the last individual competitors to compete.

The self-coached quartermiler, who has been concentrating on the 200 metres, will have to wait until Tuesday for the start of the men’s 200 heats. But Mathieu said he has been making the most of his time in between time.

“It’s been pretty good. Everything has been going well,” said Mathieu of his Olympic experience so far. “I’m enjoying it.”

Under the watchful eyes of head coach David Charlton, Mathieu said he has been spending a lot of time getting his block start together, something that he feels will be important if he’s going to contend with world record holder Usain Bolt and his Jamaican compatriot Yohan Blake. He said he just can’t wait to compete.

“It’s been going great,” he said. “But in four days, we will see how it goes when I get in my first race.”

Coming into the games with a personal best of 20.16 seconds, which was well below the A qualifying time of 20.55, Mathieu said if he can break the 20-second barrier and end up running 19 seconds he will be thrilled with his Olympic experience here.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but that’s my main goal,” he said.

The 28-year-old graduate of St George’s High School, Southwestern Christian College and Texas Tech University remembered when he came off the curve in the semifinal of the 200 last year at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea ahead of Bolt, only to pull up with an injury and wasn’t able to finish. Mathieu said he’s hoping to build on the exposure.

“I’m looking to run 19 seconds and if I was to catch any of the Jamaicans in my races that would be good too because I know I can run with them,” he said. “I’m just trying to run a good time so that I can get into the final. Once I get into the final, I know that anything could happen.”