Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Love what you do and you’ll do it well, was one of the messages Usain Bolt gave business people Monday in Lausanne. Bolt, who ran to glory in the 2008 Olympics with three gold medals and three world records, faces his first real 200 metre test of the 2009 season this evening, 7 July, at Athletissima in Lausanne. He’ll be running for the crowd, but also for his dream of becoming a legend and for the sheer joy of competing in front of people who appreciate what he’s doing, he told a group Monday at IMD, the Lausanne business school.

Bolt and his coach, Glen Mills, were invited to IMD to talk about the success strategies of a top athlete.

“Success for me is just continuing to do great things. I am not fully successful. For me I will be a great athlete if I can do this year after year,” Bolt told the group. Mills noted that “You tend to be far more successful if you prepare yourself for both success and failure. Some coaches talk only about success. But if you are prepared for all circumstances, then you are able to deal with the situation better.”

Bolt was hindered by injuries earlier in his career and suffered disappointments on the track. “The turning point was the World Championships in Osaka in 2007,” Bolt recalled. “I came in second and afterwards the coach and I sat down and analyzed the situation. The main thing was my lack of strength. I don’t like going to the gym. But I realized to get to the next level, I had to work on this weakness and spend more time in the gym.”

He talked about the joy of competing. “It makes me so excited to compete in front of my fans. I love competing. If you enjoy what you are doing, then it is much easier to be successful.”

Bolt told TSR, Swiss television, that he had asked his coach to let him return to Lausanne because the 200m course is the best one he’s seen, with an open angle and a wide turn “that’s easier on my back.” He won gold in Beijing in 2008 in the 200m, 100, and 4x100m, but the 200 is his preferred event. Swiss media have been keen to know if he will run flat out, given the controversy over his finish at the stadium in Lausanne 2 September 2008, shortly after the Olympics, where some observers said he had slowed down at the end. His time of 19″63, the fourth best time on record, at the time.

Video of the IMD meeting (can be viewed as of 16:00 Tuesday 7 July)

“Business lessons from a world-class athlete, Usain Bolt”, by John Weeks, IMD professor, guest blogger on GenevaLunch

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