Bolt smashes his own 100m record

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Germany

Jamaican Usain Bolt renewed his world record for men’s 100m with a blistering 9.58-second dash on the second day of the 12th IAAF World Championship at the Olympic Stadium here last night.

The sprint merchant earned USD 160,000 for a job well done under ten seconds - US$60,000 as prize for the gold medal and a bonus of US$100,000 for the World record.

As expected, it was a keen tussle for track supremacy with all eight finalists having personal bests of bellow ten seconds. With a performance that defies imagination, Bolt bettered his own world mark in men’s 100m world record to push his arch rival and the defending champion Tyson Gay to the second place.

It was nice to see the 22-year-old Jamaican knocking a mind-numbing 0.11 second from the 9.69 record he set at the Olympic Games in Beijing exactly one year ago. Incidentally, the writer was there in China when Bolt erased compatriot Asafa Powel’s world record at the Bird’s Nest.

American Gay, in his title defence, clocked 9.71 seconds but that was good enough only for the silver medal against the super human effort by Bolt.

Nevertheless, Gay’s timing accounted for a new US national record. Former World record holder settled for the third place, returning a timing of 9.84 seconds.

Many expected Gay to throw a huge change but ultimately it was no contest as Bolt cast aside the clowning for 9.58 sec, to underline his supremacy once more as the fastest man ever on earth. Bolt just blasted out of his blocks with a perfect reaction and went like a bullet, leaving no chance whatsoever to Gay and Powel, two of his closest contenders for the golden crown. Gay ran in lane five, flanked by Bolt on lane four and Powell on lane five.

Bolt paid Gay the compliment of running the race flat out, and even glancing right a couple of times in the last 20m, to ensure that the American, in the lane beside him was not threatening. But just the possibility of it had propelled Bolt to break the World record he set in winning Olympic gold by 0.11sec, a massive margin at the highest level of the sport, but telling testimony to Bolt’s massive talent.

Bolt said he was “definitely ready” to shatter the world record and was brimming with confidence before the race.

“I was ready for it and just did it! I am proud of myself. This is a big moment in history but you never know what happens tomorrow. For me it was a great run. This is big in Jamaica. I just came to execute and I did it right,” the fastest man ever on earth said after his triumph.

Asked about the challenge he expected from his American rival, Bolt said “there were seven others”. “There were seven other guys in the final race with me and not just Tyson running in this final with me. I took all of them seriously,” he added. Asked about his diet before the final the Jamaican world champions said he had nuggets for lunch.

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding was amongst the first to congratulate his country’s golden man. “The first phone call I got was from a TV station in Jamaica and the second from our Prime Minster. I did not expect this time. I was focussed and came out to execute, I did not think that I could run 0,1s faster than my own world record. But for me, anything is possible.

I did not worry about anything before the race. I do the worrying outside of competition. This is the best audience, all the energy these guys gave me,” he said, adding that “the game is now on for the 200m gold”. Gay said he was disappointed after missing his world title. “But I have run my fastest time. I cannot complain. Bolt ran a good race. I did my best but it was not good enough. I will keep on running and look forward to 200 m,” Gay said.

Powell said he is excited about his team mate’s run, adding that it was “great to be part of it”. “I went out there and did well. I was motivated even if for everybody it was a showdown between Usain and Tyson. 9.58s - that is a thing tonight. It shows that it is possible. I am stunned,” Powell said.

It was a treat to watch the electrifying finale to an exciting weekend’s athletics. Spectators are out for some exciting times with both of Bolt and Gay set for another showdown in the men’s 200m from Tuesday and 4 x 100m relays.

When Valerie Vili put 19.40 metres in he first round of the women’s Shot Putt, it looked as if the New Zelander had placed a strong option on another gold. But the defending champion was in for a shock. First Gong Lijao of China replied with 19.69m, then home favourite, Nadine Kleinert equalled her personal best with 20.06.

When Nataliia Mikhnevitch hit 19.66m, Vili was out of the medals.

It ended up as intriguing as the men’s contest the night before. Gong improved her personal best with 19.89m in the second round, before Vili retook the lead with 20.25m in round three, and Kleinert responded with a big personal best of 20.20m. Vili then ended any conjecture with 20.44m (and another 20.25m for good measure) and the gold was hers, again.

Kleinert was second, and Gong, with a wonderfully consistent series of throws was third. Ennis unchallenged from start to finish took the silver for the host nation. Jessica Ennis may have been disappointed with her 6.29 metres Long Jump in the fifth Heptathlon discipline, but with her principal rival, Olympic champion Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine only picking up 38 points of over 300 deficit, the gold was as good as won if the Briton could throw a reasonable distance in the Javelin, and get close to 2.10 in the 800 metres.

Olga Kaniskina picked up where colleague and sometime training partner, Valery Borchin left off the day before, winning the women’s 20km race walk in one hour, 28 minutes and nine second. Both Russians also won in Beijing, by where Kaniskina is the senior member of their team in Saransk, 650k east of Moscow, is that she successfully defended the title she won in Osaka, while Borchin did not finish.

In temperatures which reached 30C by the end, some 3-4C warmer than for the men’s race, Kaniskina waited until five kilometres to take the lead. But the move was so decisive that by halfway she was 25sec ahead, a lead she exactly doubled by the finish. Surprise silver medallist was Irish veteran, Olive Loughnane, who credited her daughter Eimer with inspiration for her performance.

BERLIN, Monday.