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Bolt surprises with world record in 200 meters

AP Photo

Usain Bolt runs past the timing board after setting a world record in the 200 meters.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 21, 2009

BERLIN

Usain Bolt startled the world again.

Bolt captured the 200-meter gold medal in 19.19 seconds yesterday, yet another world record.

His time in the 200 slashed 0.11 seconds off the mark he set last year at the Beijing Olympics and came four days after he broke his 100 record by the same margin.

"I am on my way to being a legend," said Bolt, who pointed to the clock as soon as his time flashed.

No one among the near capacity crowd at the 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium disagreed. "If Queen Elizabeth knighthooded me and I would get the title Sir Usain Bolt, that would be very nice," Bolt said.

Bolt is 5 for 5 in major sprint events. He won the gold in the 100, 200 and sprint relay in Beijing's Bird Nest, each time with a world record. Now he is one race away from doing that in Berlin.

"I was running my heart out," Bolt said. "I got my start right and that was the key."

Alonso Edward of Panama was second, 0.62 seconds behind Bolt. American Wallace Spearmon took bronze.

Bolt's spirits got a boost before the start when teammate Melaine Walker added the world title to her Olympic gold in the women's 400 hurdles, another success for Jamaica, which has had outsized performances at this event.

After defending champion Tyson Gay had withdrawn because of injury, Bolt's main competitor stood beyond the finish line -- a huge track clock painted in the same colors as his Jamaican jersey.

From Lane 5, Bolt gobbled up all opposition by the end of the curve, and then let loose those huge arms and legs in a whirl of unmatched speed.

Once across the line, he stuck out his tongue much in the manner of basketball great Michael Jordan.

Bolt took off his orange shoes, which had taken him through eight races in six days, and he started celebrating on the eve of his 23rd birthday. It was the first sultry evening in Berlin, with temperatures over 90 degrees, reminiscent of a warm night one year ago in Beijing.

During warmups, Bolt faked knocking out Spearmon, with the American happily playing along.

The decathlon was won by American Trey Hardee, taking over from injured teammate Bryan Clay. Despite a slow closing 1,500 meters, Hardee held on for gold, edging Leonel Suarez of Cuba.

Earlier, Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia started their chase for their own doubles. After winning the 10,000 on Monday, Bekele was dominant again and crossed first in his heat of the 5,000.

The Ethiopian won a long-distance double at the Beijing Olympics. Two golds here would establish him as perhaps Africa's greatest distance runner.

Competing on two hours sleep, Kamel followed his victory in the 1,500 late Wednesday with a win and qualification for the semifinals in the 800.

Favorites Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia and Abubakere Kaki of Sudan qualified alongside him.

Olympic hurdles champion Dayron Robles had been slowed by a hamstring injury the past few weeks and after hitting the first three hurdles in his semifinal, he cried out in agony, grabbed his leg and slowed to a stop.