Breaking
Stunning Bolt sets 200m world record
Published: August 21, 2008- Digg
- StumbleUpon
- Text Size
"I don't think his training has been geared to that part yet," Johnson said.
"But in a few years it will be, and then I will be ready to kiss my record goodbye."
That smooch came earlier than he expected even as more Jamaicans showed top form.
Reigning world champion Allyson Felix of the United States and defending Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica led trios of women from each of their nation's into Thursday's 200m finals from semi-final heats.
The grudge match began when Jamaicans swept the women's 100m medals with three Americans adrift.
Campbell-Brown won her semi-final heat in 22.19 seconds with compatriot Kerron Stewart second in 22.29 and American Muna Lee third in 22.29.
Felix answered by winning her heat in 22.33 with compatriot Marshevet Hooker second in 22.50, edging Jamaican Sheron Simpson who was third in the same time.
World record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba booked his place in Thursday's 110m hurdles final by winning his semi-final heat in 13.12 seconds to lead all eight qualifiers.
"Everything is fine," Robles said. "My preparation is going well. We have to wait and see what happens in the final."
His nearest rivals this season, Americans David Oliver and David Payne, advanced as well, with Oliver winning his heat in 13.31.
Chinese fans remained haunted by the absence of Liu Xiang, who pulled out with an injury in Monday's opening heats, and were hit again when China's Shi Dongpeng failed to advance, missing out by .02 of a second in a photo finish.
Reigning 1,500 and 5,000 world champion Bernard Lagat bounced back in the opening heats of the 5,000 after failing to reach the 1,500m finals, winning his qualifying heat for Saturday's final in 13:39.70.
"I wanted to run hard and make it to the finals. That was my main goal," Lagat said. "I wasn't going out there to win, but I thought when I was leading, 'Why not just go out and win it?'"
Olympic 1,500m champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia continued his bid for a distance double by finishing third in Lagat's heat, advancing in 13:40.13.
World indoor champion Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia and 2003 world champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya also advanced.
Defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia, world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego of Kenya, 2004 Olympic runner-up Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa and 2008 world leader Abubaker Kaki of Sudan were among 24 advancing to the 800m semi-finals.
Aksana Miankova of Belarus won the women's hammer throw with a best effort of 76.34m with Cuba's Yipsi Moreno settling for second for the second Olympics in a row on 75.20 and China's Zhang Wenxu third on 74.32.
So many hammers were thrown into the large protective netting structure that the screen had to be repaired during the event.
The only other gold medal on offer was in the later women's 400 hurdles final.
Men's pole vault qualifying was set with world champion Brad Walker of the United States and Australian rival Steve Hooker among the favorites to advance to Friday's final.
Olympics: Usain Bolt factfile
Factfile on Usain Bolt who won the Olympic Games 100m gold medal here on Saturday in a new world record time and won the 200m gold medal here on Wednesday in a new world record time:
Name: Usain Bolt
Date of Birth: 21/08/1986
Place of birth: Trelawny, Jamaica
Nationality: Jamaican
Height: 1.96m
Weight: 88kg
Honours:
100m
Olympics - 1st (2008)
200m
Olympics - 1st (2008)
World championships - 2nd (2007)
World junior championships - 1st (2002)
4x100 m
World championships - 2nd (2007)
100m
World record - 9.69sec (16/08/08 at Beijing)
200m
World record - 19.30sec (20/08/08 at Beijing)







Your Opinion