Bolt hits Beijing again in historic run

Source: China Daily | 08-21-2008 08:10

He did not slow down, or stretch his arms or slap his chest, this time. But he still won the 200m sprint in world record time, giving himself the best present on the eve of his 22nd birthday.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates after winning the men's 200m final  of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing  2008 Olympic Games August 20, 2008. Bolt set a new world record with  a timing of 19.30 seconds. [Agencies]

Maybe he did not want to take a chance till he crossed the 200m finish line yesterday. After all, it was the great Michael Johnson whose world record he was after, unlike the 100m in which he broke his own on Saturday.

The capacity 90,000 crowd at the Bird's Nest knew about his birthday and sang Happy Birthday to Bolt as he ran a lap of honor.

So what do the spoils add up after the end of the historic dash? Usain Bolt becomes the first athlete to set world records in the 100m and 200m sprints at the Olympics. He is the first man to win the golden double after Carl Lewis in Los Angeles 1984. The great Jesse Owens has done that too, but even he couldn't break both the records.

Johnson had been prophetic when he said after the 100m dash that Bolt might one day shatter his world 200m record of 19.32 seconds, set in Atlanta 1996. It took the Jamaican just four days to make that prophecy come true.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the men's 200m final of  the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing  2008 Olympic Games August 20, 2008. Bolt set a new world record  with a timing of 19.30 seconds. [Agencies]