22 Sep 2015

Sport: Samoan sprinter counting down to Rio

11:19 am on 22 September 2015

Samoan sprinter Jeremy Dodson is already counting down to his Olympic debut in Brazil next year.

The 28 year old was born and raised in the United States but his mother is from the village of Malie and he made the switch to Samoa earlier this year.

Samoan athlete, Jeremy Dodson

Samoan athlete, Jeremy Dodson Photo: Supplied

Dodson bowed out in the 200m semi finals at last month's World Champs and says

after missing the Beijing and London Olympics he can't wait for Rio.

Samoa's Jeremy Dodson in action in Beijing.

Samoan athlete Jeremy Dodson in action in Beijing. Photo: AFP

"It's different than training for the US where I had to train for the US trials and really peak for that and then hopefully just get through that and then go on and train again and peak for Rio. This year I can taper my training towards just the Olympics itself - I can breathe and I don't know what to do now, I don't know what to do with myself. I qualified. I guess you can say I'm a 2016 Olympian right now".

Jeremy Dodson wrapped his first season as a Samoan athlete earlier this month and says he plans to have at least four weeks off before getting back into training.