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Blitzy Bolt clocks fastest 200m of year at Athens Grand Prix
BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, July 14, 2008
WORLD 100-metre record holder Usain Bolt continued his relentless march to becoming the first Jamaican to win the Olympic sprint double by posting 19.67 seconds - the fifth fastest 200 metres of all time - at the Tsiklitiria Athens Grand Prix track meet yesterday.
The Glen Mills-coached phenom shaved 0.08secs off his previous national record of 19.75 established in 2007 when he shattered Donald Quarrie's 30-year-old mark of 19.86secs.
Usain Bolt from Jamaica reacts after finishing first with 19.67 seconds in the 200 metres during IAAF Athens Grand Prix in Tsiklitiria at the Olympic stadium yesterday. (Photo: AP)
"I am very satisfied with my performance," Bolt told reporters following the race, which he ran into a head-wind of -0.5 m/s.
"I still have work to do," said Bolt. "My coach saw the race on television and said there's a fault to rectify."
The 19.67-second clocking replaced his 19.83secs done on June 12 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, as the year's best time over the half-lap event. "I feel sure I will be very strong at the Olympic Games," Bolt added.
Although he started slowly, Bolt had recovered as he came out of the curve, leading comfortably in the home straight and winning by a wide margin ahead of Brendan Christian of Antigua, who was second in 20.36. Zimbabwe's Brian Dzingai was third in 20.45secs.
Bolt, who started yesterday occupying ninth spot on the all-time list along with Americans Carl Lewis and Joe Deloach (19.75secs) leap-frogged four other athletes - Namibia's Frank Fredericks (19.68), Walter Dix (19.69) of USA, Italy's Pietro Mennea (19.72) and Michael Marsh of USA (19.73) - to take the number five spot.
Only world record holder Michael Johnson (19.32), Tyson Gay (19.62) and Xavier Carter (19.63), who will not contest the 200 in Beijing, along with world bronze medallist Wallace Spearmon (19.65secs) have ever run faster than 21-year-old Bolt over the distance.
With 24 days remaining for the start of the Olympics in China on August 8, Bolt's nearest rivals for the 200 gold medal are Dix with 19.86secs, defending champion Shawn Crawford 19.86 and Spearmon 19.90, all registered in the final of the United States Olympic trials last weekend.
In the meantime four other Jamaicans had top-three finishes at yesterday's Athens Grand Prix meet in Greece.
Reigning Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown continued her good form by clocking 10.92secs (wind: 0.0) to win the 100m ahead of Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas (11.14) and the USA's Angela Williams (11.15secs).
Campbell-Brown, who is down to contest the 200m and 4x100m relay at next month's Olympics, was pleased with her performance. "I am satisfied with my race. I train very hard and I hope I will stay healthy in order to achieve my goal in Beijing," she said. "I adore Athens, I run my best races here."
Simone Facey clocked 11.32 to finish eighth in Campbell-Brown's race.
Athens Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane produced his second sub-49-second race in as many days to finish second in the 400m hurdles behind South African LJ Van Zyl (48.22secs).
McFarlane followed up his 48.57secs run for third at the Rome Golden League meet on Friday with 48.67secs in Athens yesterday. Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kenia Sinclair shrugged off her disappointing 10th place finish in Rome on Friday by posting 1 minute 59.84secs for third behind Cuban winner Zulia Calatayud 1 minute 59.26secs. World bronze medallist Novlene Williams-Mills posted 50.54secs for second in the 400m won by American Sanya Richards (49.86secs).
Another American Mary Wineberg was third in 50.78secs followed by Jamaica's Shereefa Lloyd (50.89) in fourth.
James Beckford was ninth in the long jump with 7.73 metres, while Maurice Wignall's time of 13.65secs was 10th overall in the 110m hurdles, and Korine Hinds' nine minutes 32.06 seconds and Mardrea Hyman's nine minutes 47.91secs were only good enough for 10th and 16th places, respectively, in the 3,000m steeplechase.
BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, July 14, 2008
WORLD 100-metre record holder Usain Bolt continued his relentless march to becoming the first Jamaican to win the Olympic sprint double by posting 19.67 seconds - the fifth fastest 200 metres of all time - at the Tsiklitiria Athens Grand Prix track meet yesterday.
The Glen Mills-coached phenom shaved 0.08secs off his previous national record of 19.75 established in 2007 when he shattered Donald Quarrie's 30-year-old mark of 19.86secs.
Usain Bolt from Jamaica reacts after finishing first with 19.67 seconds in the 200 metres during IAAF Athens Grand Prix in Tsiklitiria at the Olympic stadium yesterday. (Photo: AP) "I am very satisfied with my performance," Bolt told reporters following the race, which he ran into a head-wind of -0.5 m/s.
"I still have work to do," said Bolt. "My coach saw the race on television and said there's a fault to rectify."
The 19.67-second clocking replaced his 19.83secs done on June 12 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, as the year's best time over the half-lap event. "I feel sure I will be very strong at the Olympic Games," Bolt added.
Although he started slowly, Bolt had recovered as he came out of the curve, leading comfortably in the home straight and winning by a wide margin ahead of Brendan Christian of Antigua, who was second in 20.36. Zimbabwe's Brian Dzingai was third in 20.45secs.
Bolt, who started yesterday occupying ninth spot on the all-time list along with Americans Carl Lewis and Joe Deloach (19.75secs) leap-frogged four other athletes - Namibia's Frank Fredericks (19.68), Walter Dix (19.69) of USA, Italy's Pietro Mennea (19.72) and Michael Marsh of USA (19.73) - to take the number five spot.
Only world record holder Michael Johnson (19.32), Tyson Gay (19.62) and Xavier Carter (19.63), who will not contest the 200 in Beijing, along with world bronze medallist Wallace Spearmon (19.65secs) have ever run faster than 21-year-old Bolt over the distance.
With 24 days remaining for the start of the Olympics in China on August 8, Bolt's nearest rivals for the 200 gold medal are Dix with 19.86secs, defending champion Shawn Crawford 19.86 and Spearmon 19.90, all registered in the final of the United States Olympic trials last weekend.
In the meantime four other Jamaicans had top-three finishes at yesterday's Athens Grand Prix meet in Greece.
Reigning Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown continued her good form by clocking 10.92secs (wind: 0.0) to win the 100m ahead of Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas (11.14) and the USA's Angela Williams (11.15secs).
Campbell-Brown, who is down to contest the 200m and 4x100m relay at next month's Olympics, was pleased with her performance. "I am satisfied with my race. I train very hard and I hope I will stay healthy in order to achieve my goal in Beijing," she said. "I adore Athens, I run my best races here."
Simone Facey clocked 11.32 to finish eighth in Campbell-Brown's race.
Athens Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane produced his second sub-49-second race in as many days to finish second in the 400m hurdles behind South African LJ Van Zyl (48.22secs).
McFarlane followed up his 48.57secs run for third at the Rome Golden League meet on Friday with 48.67secs in Athens yesterday. Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kenia Sinclair shrugged off her disappointing 10th place finish in Rome on Friday by posting 1 minute 59.84secs for third behind Cuban winner Zulia Calatayud 1 minute 59.26secs. World bronze medallist Novlene Williams-Mills posted 50.54secs for second in the 400m won by American Sanya Richards (49.86secs).
Another American Mary Wineberg was third in 50.78secs followed by Jamaica's Shereefa Lloyd (50.89) in fourth.
James Beckford was ninth in the long jump with 7.73 metres, while Maurice Wignall's time of 13.65secs was 10th overall in the 110m hurdles, and Korine Hinds' nine minutes 32.06 seconds and Mardrea Hyman's nine minutes 47.91secs were only good enough for 10th and 16th places, respectively, in the 3,000m steeplechase.
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