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That tremendous run
Usain Bolt - file
On the eve of the 2008 Jamaica International Invitational, athletes' liaison, Olympic great Donald Quarrie, declared that the standard of performances at last Saturday's renewal would be higher than previous meets.
Not even he, however, could have predicted that Usain Bolt, the man who ran 19.75 seconds over 200m last year to break an over 30-year-old national record, would have come within two-hundredths of a second of breaking the 100m world record held since last September by Asafa Powell.
Bolt literally destroyed a good field to post 9.76 seconds, the second fastest time ever, and take almost three-tenths of a second off his previous best of 10.03. While I was stunned by the final time I was not surprised that Bolt went well under 10 seconds.
The 21-year-old is now being coached by Glen Mills, a legendary local sprint coach whose most famous charge before this was many-time world and Olympic 100m finalist Raymond Stewart. In the years between 1984 and 1995, Stewart reached three consecutive Olympic 100m finals (1984, 1988 and 1992) and four straight World Championships 100m finals - 1987, 1991, 1993 and 1995.
In addition, the conditions at the National Stadium on Saturday night were perfect for fast times. The wind was just right. It was slightly below the legal limit of 2.0 metres per second (mps) down the 100m straight. The wind reading was 1.8 mps, just below the 1.7 mps that Powell got in Rieti, Italy, last year when he ran 9.74.
Fast times require require ideal conditions. There are several sprinters around the world who, given the conditions on Saturday night, will post very fast times. A fit Asafa Powell may have stopped the clock at possibly 9.73 or below.
Where does Bolt go from here? Many have suggested that he should now attempt the sprint double at the Olympics. His coach has said he will do two more 100m runs before turning to his pet event, the 200m. I know very little about coaching but I would be very surprised if Bolt did the 100m, 200m double at either next month's National Championships or the Olympic Games in Beijing in August.
His 2007 programme, according to information coming out of his camp, was geared towards running only the 200m while seeking to secure a place on the sprint relay team. There is a big question mark over whether his background work, both physically and mentally, would have prepared him to take on the best in the world over eight rounds, four in the 100m and four in the 200m, at the Olympics. .
While Bolt was the undoubted star on Saturday night there were a few other notable performances by Jamaicans. The women's 100m was also won in a world- leading, personal-best 10.96 by Kerron Stewart, who has been knocking at the door from 2002 when, at the World Junior Championships in Jamaica, she ran a leg on the winning sprint relay team and also placed fourth in the 100m final.
Stewart now has the world's leading times in both the 100m and 200m (22.35) and will be a danger to all if she maintains this form up to Beijing.
Another athlete who could do very well at the Olympics is shot put thrower Dorian Scott, the silver medallist at the Common-wealth Games in 2006. Scott, who easily won his event last Saturday leads the world with 21.64m and has said that he is getting up to 22.00m in training. Anything close to 22.00m will put him in a position to earn Jamaica's first-ever shot put medal at the Olympics.
Send your feedback to elton.tucker@gleanerjm.com.
Usain Bolt - file
On the eve of the 2008 Jamaica International Invitational, athletes' liaison, Olympic great Donald Quarrie, declared that the standard of performances at last Saturday's renewal would be higher than previous meets.
Not even he, however, could have predicted that Usain Bolt, the man who ran 19.75 seconds over 200m last year to break an over 30-year-old national record, would have come within two-hundredths of a second of breaking the 100m world record held since last September by Asafa Powell.
Bolt literally destroyed a good field to post 9.76 seconds, the second fastest time ever, and take almost three-tenths of a second off his previous best of 10.03. While I was stunned by the final time I was not surprised that Bolt went well under 10 seconds.
The 21-year-old is now being coached by Glen Mills, a legendary local sprint coach whose most famous charge before this was many-time world and Olympic 100m finalist Raymond Stewart. In the years between 1984 and 1995, Stewart reached three consecutive Olympic 100m finals (1984, 1988 and 1992) and four straight World Championships 100m finals - 1987, 1991, 1993 and 1995.
Ideal conditions
In addition, the conditions at the National Stadium on Saturday night were perfect for fast times. The wind was just right. It was slightly below the legal limit of 2.0 metres per second (mps) down the 100m straight. The wind reading was 1.8 mps, just below the 1.7 mps that Powell got in Rieti, Italy, last year when he ran 9.74.
Fast times require require ideal conditions. There are several sprinters around the world who, given the conditions on Saturday night, will post very fast times. A fit Asafa Powell may have stopped the clock at possibly 9.73 or below.
Where does Bolt go from here? Many have suggested that he should now attempt the sprint double at the Olympics. His coach has said he will do two more 100m runs before turning to his pet event, the 200m. I know very little about coaching but I would be very surprised if Bolt did the 100m, 200m double at either next month's National Championships or the Olympic Games in Beijing in August.
His 2007 programme, according to information coming out of his camp, was geared towards running only the 200m while seeking to secure a place on the sprint relay team. There is a big question mark over whether his background work, both physically and mentally, would have prepared him to take on the best in the world over eight rounds, four in the 100m and four in the 200m, at the Olympics. .
While Bolt was the undoubted star on Saturday night there were a few other notable performances by Jamaicans. The women's 100m was also won in a world- leading, personal-best 10.96 by Kerron Stewart, who has been knocking at the door from 2002 when, at the World Junior Championships in Jamaica, she ran a leg on the winning sprint relay team and also placed fourth in the 100m final.
Stewart now has the world's leading times in both the 100m and 200m (22.35) and will be a danger to all if she maintains this form up to Beijing.
Another athlete who could do very well at the Olympics is shot put thrower Dorian Scott, the silver medallist at the Common-wealth Games in 2006. Scott, who easily won his event last Saturday leads the world with 21.64m and has said that he is getting up to 22.00m in training. Anything close to 22.00m will put him in a position to earn Jamaica's first-ever shot put medal at the Olympics.
Send your feedback to elton.tucker@gleanerjm.com.