BEIJING: Usain Bolt ran another incredible race on Wednesday to shatter Michael Johnson’s 200m world record of 19.32 seconds that had looked unbeatable for a dozen years.
The Olympic sprint double, the first since Carl Lewis clinched one at home in 1984, had long been forecast for the Jamaican, but the world record in the longer dash was in some doubt. Not even Michael Johnson saw any possibility of a 19.3 this day as he addressed a press conference hours before the sprinters settled into their blocks.
Bolt obviously aimed for the record and got it at 19.30 seconds correcting an initial flash that put it at 19.31. “Incredible performance by Usain Bolt once again,” Johnson told the BBC after the Bird’s Nest, and a huge television audience around the world, watched in disbelief, as they had on day two of athletics action in the 100m.Birthday gift
No one had scripted two world records for Bolt in the Beijing Games, though for weeks during the run-up there was talk of a possible double for the Jamaican who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Thursday. What else could he have asked for as a present on the eve?
His 9.69 for the 100 had come rather effortlessly though he was a relative ‘newcomer’ to the short dash compared to the rest. Here he was the favourite and he made sure of the record. Unlike the easing up and gestures that marked the 100 metres, there was no let-up towards the finish on Wednesday.
He ran through and then celebrated, lying on the track and later doing a jig around the stadium to the delight of another packed house of 91,000.
Behind Bolt, dreams were realised and then shattered as Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon joined Bolt’s celebrations for having ‘won’ the silver and bronze to be told later that they were disqualified for lane violations.Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries were Americans Shawn Crawford (19.96) who was the defending champion, and Walter Dix (19.98) who had originally finished fourth and fifth. That also meant Bolt had won the 200 by the biggest margin ever in an Olympics, 0.66 seconds.
The last man to hold the world records in 100 and 200 at the same time was Jamaican Donald Quarrie, the 1976 Olympics 200m champion. He had held the last recognised hand-timed record in 100 (9.9 at Modesto, US, in May 1976) and had by then equaled his own world record of 1971 in the 200 metres with a 19.8 in Eugene, US, in June 1975.
“It is great. I have a great feeling. It is a dream come true,” said Bolt, as he attempted to digest the magnitude of his own achievement. “No. I was worried after the semis, but I just told myself to leave everything on the track. I had come here to do it. And I am so happy with myself,” said Bolt when asked whether he believed that the record would be broken.
“I never expected this. I knew the track was a fast track but I didn’t think this was possible. I am shocked. I am still shocked. I have been aspiring for the world record for so long,” said Bolt.Distant shadow
The rest were a distant shadow as Bolt got off the blocks well, by his standards (0.182s reaction time compared to the best of 0.144 by the disqualified Martina), took the curve brilliantly, holding his speed, and shot like an arrow on the straight, leaving the others to fight for the silver.
“I worked so hard to become the champion. I will work harder to stay on the top,” said the Jamaican.
Spearmon’s disqualification was initially protested by the US, which eventually accepted the decision of the jury but not before it protested the lane violation by Martina. After examining the video footage, the jury disqualified both Spearmon and Martina, thus enabling Americans to gain the silver and bronze.More celebration
It was celebration time for Jamaica once again, as the women’s 400 metres hurdles gold went to Melaine Walker, with an Olympic record 52.64. Sheena Tosta of the U.S. pipped Tasha Danvers of Britain for the silver with a 53.70.
“I have dreamt about it a million times. I wanted to be victorious in this race. It is a great blessing to all Jamaican people. It is God who has given us all the talent to do all that we did in the Olympics. We have to be grateful,” said Walker.
There was another Olympic record, as Aksana Miankova of Belarus won the women’s hammer throw gold with a 76.34 metres effort, in the fifth round of the final. It was an improvement of more than a metre from the previous mark of 75.02 set by Olga Kuzenkova of Russia in Athens.
Yipsi Moreno of Cuba won the silver at 75.20, on her final throw, while Zhang Wenxiu grabbed China’s second athletics medal at the Games with a bronze with her season best throw of 74.32.
The Olympic sprint double, the first since Carl Lewis clinched one at home in 1984, had long been forecast for the Jamaican, but the world record in the longer dash was in some doubt. Not even Michael Johnson saw any possibility of a 19.3 this day as he addressed a press conference hours before the sprinters settled into their blocks.
Bolt obviously aimed for the record and got it at 19.30 seconds correcting an initial flash that put it at 19.31. “Incredible performance by Usain Bolt once again,” Johnson told the BBC after the Bird’s Nest, and a huge television audience around the world, watched in disbelief, as they had on day two of athletics action in the 100m.Birthday gift
No one had scripted two world records for Bolt in the Beijing Games, though for weeks during the run-up there was talk of a possible double for the Jamaican who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Thursday. What else could he have asked for as a present on the eve?
His 9.69 for the 100 had come rather effortlessly though he was a relative ‘newcomer’ to the short dash compared to the rest. Here he was the favourite and he made sure of the record. Unlike the easing up and gestures that marked the 100 metres, there was no let-up towards the finish on Wednesday.
He ran through and then celebrated, lying on the track and later doing a jig around the stadium to the delight of another packed house of 91,000.
Behind Bolt, dreams were realised and then shattered as Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon joined Bolt’s celebrations for having ‘won’ the silver and bronze to be told later that they were disqualified for lane violations.Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries were Americans Shawn Crawford (19.96) who was the defending champion, and Walter Dix (19.98) who had originally finished fourth and fifth. That also meant Bolt had won the 200 by the biggest margin ever in an Olympics, 0.66 seconds.
The last man to hold the world records in 100 and 200 at the same time was Jamaican Donald Quarrie, the 1976 Olympics 200m champion. He had held the last recognised hand-timed record in 100 (9.9 at Modesto, US, in May 1976) and had by then equaled his own world record of 1971 in the 200 metres with a 19.8 in Eugene, US, in June 1975.
“It is great. I have a great feeling. It is a dream come true,” said Bolt, as he attempted to digest the magnitude of his own achievement. “No. I was worried after the semis, but I just told myself to leave everything on the track. I had come here to do it. And I am so happy with myself,” said Bolt when asked whether he believed that the record would be broken.
“I never expected this. I knew the track was a fast track but I didn’t think this was possible. I am shocked. I am still shocked. I have been aspiring for the world record for so long,” said Bolt.Distant shadow
The rest were a distant shadow as Bolt got off the blocks well, by his standards (0.182s reaction time compared to the best of 0.144 by the disqualified Martina), took the curve brilliantly, holding his speed, and shot like an arrow on the straight, leaving the others to fight for the silver.
“I worked so hard to become the champion. I will work harder to stay on the top,” said the Jamaican.
Spearmon’s disqualification was initially protested by the US, which eventually accepted the decision of the jury but not before it protested the lane violation by Martina. After examining the video footage, the jury disqualified both Spearmon and Martina, thus enabling Americans to gain the silver and bronze.More celebration
It was celebration time for Jamaica once again, as the women’s 400 metres hurdles gold went to Melaine Walker, with an Olympic record 52.64. Sheena Tosta of the U.S. pipped Tasha Danvers of Britain for the silver with a 53.70.
“I have dreamt about it a million times. I wanted to be victorious in this race. It is a great blessing to all Jamaican people. It is God who has given us all the talent to do all that we did in the Olympics. We have to be grateful,” said Walker.
There was another Olympic record, as Aksana Miankova of Belarus won the women’s hammer throw gold with a 76.34 metres effort, in the fifth round of the final. It was an improvement of more than a metre from the previous mark of 75.02 set by Olga Kuzenkova of Russia in Athens.
Yipsi Moreno of Cuba won the silver at 75.20, on her final throw, while Zhang Wenxiu grabbed China’s second athletics medal at the Games with a bronze with her season best throw of 74.32.
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