File photo: Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates winning the men's 100m final race of the 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships ahead of US Tyson Gay and Jamaica's Asafa Powell on August 16, 2009 in Berlin. Jamaican Usain Bolt set a new world record of 9.58 seconds in winning the final of the men's 100m at the World Athletics Championships. His time bettered his own world record of 9.69sec set in the Beijing Olympics final. Getty Images / OLIVIER MORINOLIVIER MORIN/Getty Images
Olympic and world sprint champion Usain Bolt is unlikely to compete at October's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi because of the timing of the event, his agent Ricky Simms was quoted as saying on Sunday.
"It's now looking unlikely Usain will be going to the Commonwealth Games. His priorities have to lie elsewhere," Simms told Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper.
"First and foremost is his four-year plan leading up to the next Olympics (in London), which is exactly what he did prior to Beijing in 2008.
"It has started well enough with what he achieved at last summer's Berlin world championships but this year is all about the Diamond League and a continuation of his preparation for 2012.
"He also views the world championships in 2011 and 2013 as crucially important."
The Jamaican, who wiped out his 100 and 200 metres world records at the Berlin worlds, said in November his main 2010 goal was to go undefeated in the new 14-meeting Diamond League.
THE TIMING
The League starts in Doha on May 14 and ends in Brussels on Aug. 27 after which 23-year-old Bolt plans to rest before starting a pre-season training programme geared towards winning more gold medals at the 2011 worlds in South Korea.
"The timing of the (Oct. 3-14) Commonwealth Games is the issue here," added Simms.
"By the start of October, Usain will have needed to have rested and then began his pre-season which, as every athlete knows, is massively important. If you don't get your pre-season right, then you won't get the following summer right.
"If Usain ran in Delhi, it would not only require him to stay at his best from pretty much May through to October, but then delay his pre-season until Christmas or the New Year.
"That would be far too late if he wants to emulate his feats so far on a global stage in 2011. It's not as if Usain doesn't want to be at the Games, it's more the case that he most probably can't afford to be there."
Bolt did not compete at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne because of a hamstring injury.