Ath: Jamaican bolts to victory

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2008
Ath: Jamaican bolts to victory

By John Salvado

BEIJING, Aug 16 AAP - Like a bolt from the blue, the most aptly named sprinter of all-time
streaked into Olympic history tonight.

Jamaican Usain Bolt, until three months ago better known as a gifted 200m runner, smashed
his own world record to win the Olympic 100m title in 9.69 seconds.

It wasn't even close.

Bolt, 21, was so far clear of the field with 20m to run that he started waving his
arms in celebration and pumping his chest in triumph before crossing the finish line.

Richard Thompson from Trinidad was a surprise silver medallist in 9.89 and American
Walter Dix took the bronze in 9.91.

But the most important race of the Olympics is all about the winner - and never more
so than tonight.

Bolt obliterated his previous world record of 9.72 set in New York on June 1, becoming
the first-ever Jamaican to win the Olympic 100m title.

Countryman Asafa Powell - still searching for a first major title after finishing fifth
at the Athens Olympics and third at last year's world championships - was never in it.

He finished fifth in 9.95 as the top six place-getters all dipped around the 10-second mark.

Last year at the world championships, Powell admitted to panicking after going into
the race won by American Tyson Gay as the favourite.

Tonight it wouldn't have mattered what Powell did.

Bolt was in a class of his own.

The third member of the big three coming into the Games - reigning world champion Gay
- didn't even make it to the gold medal race after being run out in the semis in 10.05.

Gay only returned to competition yesterday for the first time after recovering from
a hamstring tear suffered at the US Olympic trials in early July.

"I just didn't have nothing in me today, I ran as fast as I could and I gave it 100
per cent," said Gay.

"I focused on the Olympics, so I'm disappointed.

"The injury was a setback to my training but that's no excuse because the hamstring feels fine."

The writing was on the wall tonight in the semi-finals when Bolt clocked 9.85 despite
easing up 25 metres from the line.

And in the final he ran the 100m like no man has done before.

The second round of the women's 100m also had a distinctly Jamaican feel, with the
Caribbean island's three competitors, Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson and Shelly-Ann Fraser
clocking the three fastest times.

The most notable non-qualifier for tomorrow's semis was former European champion Christine
Arron of France.

Controversial Russian Valeriy Borchin won the men's 20km walk, with Jared Tallent claiming
Australia's first athletics medal of the Games with bronze in a time of 1:19:42.

Reigning world champion Valerie Vili of New Zealand claimed gold in the shot put, winning
with a personal best of 20.56m.

Natallia Dobrynska of Ukraine won the heptathlon with 6733 points, while Australian
Kylie Wheeler finished a creditable 11th with a PB of 6369.

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KEYWORD: OLY08 ATH NIGHTLEAD

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