The Unofficial 2008 Beijing Olympics Blog

Jamaican Usain Bolt set a new world record of 19.30 seconds in the Men’s 200m final to take the gold medal in this event on August 20, at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Bolt has become the second man in history to sweep the 100m / 200m sprint double at the same Olympic Games, after Carl Lewis of the United States attained the achievement in Los Angeles in 1984.

Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles took silver with a nation’s best time of 19.82 seconds, holding off bronze medalist Shawn Crawford from the United States at 19.86 seconds.

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica has won the Men’s 100m gold
medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in a world record time of 9.69
seconds.

Silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran a time of 9.89
seconds, leaving American Walter Dix to take the bronze in a time of 9.91
seconds.

The 21-year-old broke his own world record of 9.72 seconds, which he set in
June this year. The Olympic record stood at 9.84 seconds, set by Donovan Bailey
at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Bolt came from relative obscurity to worldwide attention in the 100m at a
Grand Prix event on Long Island, New York, in late May, after demolishing the
field and breaking the world record in a time of 9.72 seconds, a stunning result
for anyone, let alone a runner who had been seen as a 200m specialist.

Pre-race favorite Powell, favorite in Athens 2004 and at last year’s world
championships, failed to live up to expectation both times, and again seems to
have cracked under the pressure, finishing fifth and 0.26 seconds behind his
arch-rival Bolt.

Reigning world champion Tyson Gay failed to qualify after running a time of
10.05 seconds in the semifinals. Gay was the United States best chance for
gold.

Gay got a decent jump from the blocks and was in contention early in the
semifinal race, but Powell and Richard Thompson overtook him. He was outleaned
at the line by American Darvis Patton, who finished in 10.03 seconds.

“I did my best,” Gay said. “I don’t have any excuses.”

As a result, Gay’s only chance at an Olympic medal will come in the relays.
He also failed to qualify for the 200m, after pulling up lame in the preliminary
round with a strained left hamstring at the Olympic trials six weeks ago.

“[I feel] a little bit bitter, but I did my best, and I don’t have any excuse
because I tried hard,” he said.

Gay’s remaining chance for a medal at Beijing 2008 is the Men’s 4 x 100m
Relay, which begins Thursday at the National Stadium, while Bolt can finally
relax with the gold around his neck.

The gold medalist explained his early celebration, raising his arms before
the finish line, “As soon as I saw I had covered the field and I knew I would
win, I was very happy and I started to celebrate.”

Final results of the Olympic Men’s 100m:

1. Usain Bolt – Jamaica 9.69 WR

2. Richard Thompson – Trinidad/Tobago 9.89 PB

3. Walter Dix – United States 9.91 PB

4. Churandy Martina – Netherlands Antilles 9.93 NR

5. Asafa Powell – Jamaica 9.95

6. Michael Frater – Jamaica 9.97 PB

7. Marc Burns – Trinidad/Tobago 10.01

8. Darvis Patton – United States 10.03

The famous, former world-record holder at the 100 M sprint section, Asafa Powell, pulled out of the Golden Gala 100 meters in Rome yesterday afternoon, after suffering a groin injury. The Jamaican burst out of the blocks in his heat but suddenly pulled up and did not run in the final.

“He’s OK, but he felt his groin cramp up and stopped running as a precaution,” said Paul Doyle, Powell’s manager.

Confession to the Associated Press report Asafa’s manager confessed this was a new injury, but also acknowledged the world class athelete has had similar issues before. Let’s just hope he’ll recover soon enough and that he’ll be in top shape in August, when the Olympics kick off.

At a news conference before the Rome meet began, Powell had told reporters it was good that Tyson Gay set a world (though wind-aided) record of 9.68 at the U.S. Olympic trials. “I think it is always better not to have all that pressure on your back. This year for the first time all eyes will be on Bolt and Gay. …”

Powell’s Jamaican teammate, Usain Bolt, one of the candidates on our 5 historical records that are likely to be broken at this year’s Olympics edition, set the 100-meter world record of 9.72 seconds in New York on May 31, improving on Powell’s 9.74.