Usain Bolt is trying not to focus on anyone but himself ahead of his final world championships, but Canada's Andre De Grasse seems to be on his mind.
The Jamaican sprinter refused to speculate Tuesday on which up-and-comer could replace him when he retires later this year, although it certainly seemed as though Bolt had unresolved issues with an opponent.
"I'm not going down that road," Bolt said when asked who could potentially take his title as world's fastest man. "The last guy I said was going to be great disrespected me."
MORE: Can De Grasse succeed Bolt as world's fastest man?
Bolt's comments come on the heels of a brewing drama involving De Grasse, the 22-year-old from Toronto who made headlines at last year's Olympic Games for both his sprinting prowess and the apparently budding friendship he had with the established superstar.
De Grasse, who has made public his desire to beat Bolt on the track before the 30-year-old hangs up his spikes for good, did not participate in the 100-metre Diamond League event in Monaco last month. His coach alleged that Bolt had De Grasse "booted" from the race for fear of losing to the Canadian.
"We were in the [100m] race. We got booted out. That's all on Bolt," De Grasse's coach Stuart McMillan told the CBC in the lead-up to the Monaco event. "Let's just say he wanted not such an elite field against him."
Bolt's management team later refuted McMillan's claim in the Telegraph, seemingly cooling the once-friendly relationship between the reigning king of sprinting and his heir-apparent.
Regardless of the potential drama with De Grasse, Bolt reminded media that he's not one to crumble under pressure.
"You guys know if I show up at a championship, you know I'm fully confident and ready to go," Bolt said.