Bolt 'the Ali' of athletics

London - Calling Usain Bolt "the Muhammad Ali of athletics," Sebastian Coe predicts the Jamaican sprinter will steal the show again at next year's London Olympics.

Coe, the former middle-distance running great, heads the organising committee of the 2012 Games. He was in Daegu, South Korea, for the world championships where Bolt won the 200 metres and anchored Jamaica to a world record in the 4x100 relay.

Coe says in his column in The Daily Telegraph "there really is an Ali-like aura about this guy that is now transcending all sports."

Coe says "all things being equal, he'll be the iconic figure of our games."

Bolt won the 100m and 200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times.

Coe says "he's told me how he wants to blow people's minds in London."