Bolt runs fastest ever 150m

Eurosport - Mon, 18 May 13:27:00 2009

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt ran the fastest ever 150m on Sunday in a street race held in a chilly and windy Manchester.

Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt celebrates after the 150m sprint during the Manchester city games REUTERS - 0

Bolt came home in 14.35sec, beating the previous best recorded by Italian Pietro Mennea of 14.8 in 1983. Britain's Marlon Devonish was second in 15.07sec.

In the women's race, American Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie clocked 16.54sec to beat Britain's Olympic 400m gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, who ran 17.10sec.

Jamaican Bolt, 22, had earlier predicted he would smash his own world 100m record this year.

He said bettering his world record of 9.69 seconds that he set in Beijing last August "shouldn't be a problem" this year.

"My coach expressed his views in Beijing, saying I could run 9.54, and I can definitely do that," he told the BBC.

"I still feel goose bumps when I hear or watch the Beijing 100m, it feels good to know I've done such a wonderful thing.

"But the 100m final was just another day for me. I knew I was going to win - I was feeling good, my starts were better and that was my main concern, so I wasn't really worried.

"I don't really think about (breaking the record again) but I think it's possible if everything goes well in training."

Asked how long he hoped to remain a force in world athletics, Bolt forecast he would be a threat until at least 2015.

"I can be at the top for six years if I want," he said. "That's the aim for me. My main goal is to make myself a legend and I'm going to work really hard to do that."

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie comfortably won the Great Manchester Run by 34 seconds with Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot's winning the women's race.

However, Gebrselassie failed in his bid to reclaim his world 10km record as gusting winds made his task impossible.

The 36-year-old - holder of 26 world records during his career - eased to victory but found a strong headwind in the final five kilometres impossible to overcome as he failed to better the world best mark of 27 minutes one second run by Kenya's Micah Kogo at the end of March.

Gebrselassie, whose major target this year is the Berlin Marathon in September, timed 27minutes 39seconds ahead of Ali Zaied of Libya (28:13) and Ukrainian veteran Sergiy Lebid (28:36).

The two-time Olympic 10,000m champion said that he had felt confident in the first-half of the race but realised as the contest entered the final 5km that he would not succeed.

"Today it was wonderful in the first half but on the way back the wind was horrible," said Gebrselassie, who nevertheless posted the fourth fastest time in the world this year.

"I wanted to run a world record, but in the second half it proved too difficult."

AFP

Comment 1 - 11 of 11

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Michael Johnson once said that he used to arrive at an­ event believing he was the best, that he'd trained­ harder, longer and better than any of his opponents no­ doubts, "demons". I think confidence, backed­ up by performance breeds arrogance and if that gives a­ sprinter a 1% edge, that might be all he needs to­ succeed. Bolt has that!!

    From nathmuss, on Sun 24 May 10:32PM

  2. Usain Bolt is a God blessed child from birth, His­ talent is a gift from the Most High God. No one can­ take it from him. I love him so much. I prayed so much­ for him, I know that one day some one else will take­ over from him but for now he is the world's fastest­ man. From Jamaican/Ireland.

    From Cynthia, on Sat 23 May 8:06PM

  3. Usain Bolt is a God blessed child from birth, His­ talent is a gift from the Most High God. No one can­ take it from him. I love him so much. I prayed so much­ for him, I know that one day some one else will take­ over from him but for now he is the world's fastest­ man. From Jamaican/Ireland.

    From Cynthia, on Sat 23 May 8:04PM

  4. Sprinters for the most part have to be super confident,­ bordering on arrogance. You have to believe you are­ the best in the world and make the other sprinters know­ that you know that you are the best. Psychology is­ half the battle; ask Asafa Powell.
    Jim Hines the great­ sprinter of a bygone era once told a reporter that he­ believes he is the fastest man God has ever made!! The­ interview was done in the late 80s! Although it's­ sounds arrogant; it certainly was true! Longer­ distance events are not nearly as glamorous as the­ sprints. The title, "The fastest man alive"­ is much more dynamic than the "fastest middle­ distance runner" or the "best marathon­ runner". In general we humans feel the need for­ speed.

    From JohnS, on Thu 21 May 5:45PM

  5. It's a shame that sprinters are such arrogant, low­ intelligence, characters, whereas the longer distance­ runners have more brains and humility.

    From webbski, on Thu 21 May 12:07AM

  6. Bolt is a great runner since is 15 yo, i've heard­ from him years agor before the olympics, about this new­ american guy, if he was real the american already show­ him up, what times is he doing that nobody knew? If­ this guys could make insane times the world already­ knew about that. It cant be 2 Bolts, that's just­ impossible, this american super guy is an ilusion

    From black_portugal, on Tue 19 May 12:47AM

  7. There is a new young 100m sprinter i have heard about­ he is of jamaican heritage but grew up in the U.S. he­ is slightly shorter than Bolt but his speed is­ electrifing, in training he has been running some­ insane times in training, and his coach is planning to­ unleash him to the public late this year or early next­ year. This guy is going to make bolt look like an­ average runner when they meet. Cheers

    From yemi, on Mon 18 May 5:42PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i think he will do 8,99s in the 100m and probablly­ 42.99 in the 400m

    From black_portugal, on Mon 18 May 2:48PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    This guy is clearlly from another planet, he cannot be­ beatten, this guy will cross the barrier of 9 seconds­ in the 100m, no doubt about it

    From black_portugal, on Mon 18 May 2:47PM

  10. Usain bolt is a phenomenon

    From Akeem, on Mon 18 May 11:13AM

  11. Usain Bolt, we dont knw wht to write about u­ anymore...u re from a different planet.
    ;-)

    From NICE GUY, on Sun 17 May 11:03PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account