We are not friends - Bolt... sprinter speaks about relationship with rival Tyson Gay

If you have ever wondered what the relationship is like between sprint king Usain Bolt and his main rival Tyson Gay, well, the 24-year-old Jamaican made it quite clear that while there is no personal 'beef', he certainly does not consider the American a friend of his.

Bolt, the Olympic and World 100m and 200m champion, has dominated the sport since his double world record and medal-grabbing feat at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and has only lost once since then; Gay, the fastest American in history, getting the better of the Jamaican last August in Stockholm.

That win led many to believe that Gay was beginning to close the gap on the man who had eclipsed himself at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany, resetting his own 100m and 200m records en route to another double-delight display. It certainly did not foster any friendship between the two sprinting heavyweights.

Bolt, during a recent interview with USA Today, was quite frank about his relationship with the 28 year-old Gay, hinting at a probable difference of the way both men deal with losing.

sore loser?

"We talk, but I wouldn't say we're friends," said Bolt of Gay. "I don't have a problem. Not to say anything, but I think everybody deals with losing differently.

"When I came on the scene, me and Tyson, we were kind of close friends. We used to beat each other. Tyson would win one, Wallace [Spearmon] would win one race, I would get one race. And then Tyson started beating both of us, and we would always talk, hang out. As soon as I start winning, all of that changes. He stopped talking to me. And I think everybody deals with losing differently," Bolt shared.

Bolt is, however, not perturbed as he set his sights on replicating his dominating performances atthis years' IAAF World Championships in Athletics, which is scheduled for August 27 - September 4 in Daegu, South Korea.

The former William Knibb student believes that a good performance in Daegu will set him up perfectly for next year's Olympic Games in London.

"If I can dominate at [the 2011 World Championships] again, then I'm gonna really have a psychological advantage going into the Olympics, because everybody's gonna be like, 'Oh god, this kid is too good,'" Bolt reasoned.

Bolt, who has five European appearances scheduled so far, may not face Gay this season before their expected clash at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu.