Beijing 2008 - Golden double for awesome Bolt

Eurosport - Thu, 21 Aug 05:08:00 2008

Jamaica's Usain Bolt became the first man to win the Olympic sprint double with two world records when he blazed to 200 metres gold in 19.30 seconds.

ATHLETICS - USAIN BOLT - JAMAICA - PEKIN - OLYMPIC GAMES - 200 - 0

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The 21-year-old, who eased up before setting a record of 9.69 in the 100m on Saturday, allowed himself no such indulgence in the longer race and dipped over the line to take two hundredths of a second off Michael Johnson's 1996 mark.

"It's great, I have a great feeling, it is a dream come true," Bolt said. "I never expected this. I knew the track was a fast track but I didn't think this was possible. I'm still shocked.

"I have been aspiring to the world record for so long. I have been saying all season that 200 means a lot more to me than 100. I've been dreaming of this since way back."

Defending champion Shawn Crawford of the US took the silver in 19.96 after Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles was disqualified for running out of his lane and American Walter Dix got the bronze in 19.98.

Crawford and Dix finished fourth and fifth in the race but earned their medals because their compatriot Wallace Spearmon was also disqualified for stepping out of his lane.

For the second time in five days, though, the Bird's Nest belonged to the super-cool Bolt who celebrates his 22nd birthday on Thursday.

He struck a series of poses as the television cameras settled on him before he took to his blocks but again he got away cleanly and was well clear of his rivals by the halfway point.

There was no showboating over the final stages, however, and he maintained his form and loping stride before sneaking a glance at the clock as crossed the line about seven metres clear of Martina.

"It's ridiculous," said former 100 metres world champion Kim Collins, who finished last. "He's doing it and making it look so simple. It's brutal. It's a brutal ass-whipping we took."

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding led the plaudits for Bolt and said he was considering declaring a national holiday in honour of his achievements.

"We're going to wait until the Games are over because we have more gold medals to win," Golding told Reuters by telephone.

"Usain Bolt is a super human being. The world has never seen anything like him."

American Carl Lewis was the last man to win both sprints at the same Games in Los Angeles in 1984 and Bolt became just the ninth athlete to achieve the feat.

The previous world record of 19.32 was set by American Johnson in the 1996 Olympic final.

Reuters

Comment 70 - 89 of 109

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  1. THIS OLYMPIC SHOWS HOW CROCKED THE AMERICANS WERE,­ WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
    ALL IN PRISON, OR DOWN THE BACK­ STREETS, WOMEN SHAVING THEIR BEARDS, AND MEN HIDING­ THEIR TITS. DRUGIES!!!.

    FOR TOO LONG THE JAMAICAN­ ATHLETICS RUNNERS TRY TO CATCH THESE DRUGIES ON THE­ TRACK, BUT, NO MORE.

    ONE BOLT ONE LOVE ONE JAMAICA.­ and guest what ? di relay no staaart yet.

    ONE BOLT­ ONE LOVE ONE JAMAICA .......................YO

    From herbert.mckinson, on Wed 20 Aug 11:32PM

  2. Usain "lighting" Bolt we nigerians really­ appreciate your performance and determination plus­ endurance. it your time to reign ride on we fellow­ black are celebrating you here & happy birthday,­ longlife and prosperity & many more years and­ record smashing to come OLABANJI FROM LAGOS NIGERIA

    From banji_xtremelynaija, on Wed 20 Aug 11:30PM

  3. What is it about Nigerians that makes other people lose­ their head and perhaps their hearts when the name­ NIGERIAN is mentioned. We are about 120 million black­ people in Africa. Whatever we are accused of was­ invented by others and certainly still being­ perpetrated by others. Please don't crucifuy every­ Nigerian. There are a lot of honest and God Fearing­ Nigerians contributing their quota to world­ development...inspite of false starts at home..we are­ now in democratic government and I know deep down that­ Nigeria and Nigerians will rise above all odds to a be­ a great country some day soon. Now what was the­ subject?..USAIN BOLT. What an incredible performance!­ The whole world salutes you and Jamaicans must be very­ proud this day...they have worked very hard from the­ days of graceful Merlene Ottey. Congrats USAIN. God­ bless you.. David, London

    From Jude, on Wed 20 Aug 11:11PM

  4. Uasin Bolt to the flipping WORLD... Congratulations­ King, you are the Boss. Let the Haters hate, because­ dem a goh tired fe see weh face an dem caan get we outa­ de race(they are going to get tired of seeing us and­ they cant get us out of the race). Asafa your day lies­ just beyond the horizon, don't cry, everything is­ gonna be alright. Wallace Spearman, I am so sorry you­ lost your medal, you truly deserved it, but the rules­ are the rules, hush, wheel an come again at next­ year's staging of the World Championships. ONE­ LOVE.

    From Cheryl D, on Wed 20 Aug 10:59PM

  5. well done

    From sajimonms, on Wed 20 Aug 10:57PM

  6. Usain you are the best, I am sure you heard me calling­ your name, I am proud to be a jamaican, not naturalized­ jamaican but a born Jamaican.

    Paulette
    Jamaica Land­ we love

    From paulette, on Wed 20 Aug 10:51PM

  7. Let me put in my two cents worth. Congratulations­ Usain. We Jamaicans are extremely proud. We await your­ return and we are not yet finished. All the doubters­ can test all they want. We are sure our Jamaicans are­ clean as they all know we are a very proud people and­ anyone caught taking drugs will be ostracised. We will­ probably send them to the USA or to Germany when the­ whole drugs thing started

    From Balvin, on Wed 20 Aug 10:36PM

  8. Happy birthday Usain great greater greatest!

    From judith, on Wed 20 Aug 10:35PM

  9. If oonu tink oonu si anyting yet, wait till di relays!­ To the nigerian cuffee, learn this .. ackee &­ saltfish with dumpling and green banana complimented­ with some strong Jamaican Coffee and occasionally some­ tough trelawny yellow yam is all we need for speed.­ RESPECT & ANKLESPECT TO ALL JAMAICAN­ SPRINTERS.

    GEOMAC

    From George M, on Wed 20 Aug 10:33PM

  10. Lightning Bolt should be the name. Brutal!

    From Nosferatu Michaelis et Pluribus Unum, on Wed 20 Aug 10:24PM

  11. KENNEDY U YOU ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO­ SPELL NOT THE PERSON YOU ARE ACCUSING OF BEING A­ "BUFALLO SOLDIER" (incorrectly spelt) and­ your spelling also let you down big time in your remark­ "find it hard to believe this guy aint only YAM...­ Wateva!" the word is ATE not "aint" and­ your fake American slang "wateva" makes it so­ obvious that English is not your first language. ­ KENNEDY my foot!!! Get back to school you ignoramus­ and stop HATING, if you cannot CELEBRATE shut your­ dirty mouth!!

    From c, on Wed 20 Aug 10:18PM

  12. Somebody just won 8 gold medals ...emphatically!­ That's superhuman!
    His name is not ... Fish,­ sprint, bolts or sumthing cranky or corny like that..­ His just a simple young guy who did it 8 times..­ RESPECT y'all

    From Kennedy U, on Wed 20 Aug 10:00PM

  13. Somebody just won 8 gold medals ...emphatically!­ That's superhuman!
    His name is not ... Fish,­ sprint, bolts or sumthing cranky like that.. His just a­ simple young guy who did it 8 times.. RESPECT y'all

    From Kennedy U, on Wed 20 Aug 9:59PM

  14. congrats bolt ,we are so proud of you,you let us all­ feel good to be jamaicans.happy birthday!!!
    big­ up.

    carolyn
    from sunderland uk

    From CarolynY, on Wed 20 Aug 9:59PM

  15. Congrats to Team Jamaica.
    We are so small yet so­ great-WI LITTLE BUT WI TALLAWAH.
    Pat.

    From patriciacrumbie, on Wed 20 Aug 9:51PM

  16. There will never be another sprinter like Bolt. A man­ of his height and body type should not be dominating­ the sport the way he has these Olympics.­ Congratulations Bolt and Happy 22nd!

    From kgizzlewizzle, on Wed 20 Aug 9:44PM

  17. I was disturb when i heard Pluckout eye Crawford­ wishing that USAIN would step on the line so that he­ could get gold. Ugly @#$% (Crawford) you are nothing­ but a SORRY @#$% LOSER! You know that you don't­ deserve any medal but yet still you wanted gold. Whats­ up with these Americans? Why can't you people­ accept your lost?

    I wish that the silver medal catch­ fire around your tough neck.

    From Neisha, on Wed 20 Aug 9:34PM

  18. Nice one bolt....U ar the best and u made me proud cos­ I have always believe u will do it which u did...Nice 1

    From Jeffrey, on Wed 20 Aug 9:28PM

  19. Who's this guy?
    Meeeenn SHAARAAP!!
    No wander­ u'r @#$% is out of work..u freaking bufallo soldier­ (u Can't even spell). Its actually S.T.E.A.L.I.N.G­ not "srealing" punk. U blind man who­ can't tell who d real criminals are.. I dare u 2­ Think if its not too much hardwork 4 u.
    Bolt is aiight­ but don't call me Jealous!!!

    From Kennedy U, on Wed 20 Aug 9:21PM

  20. Talk all you want about cheating! I am confident that­ the Jamaican athletes are clean! They have worked hard­ and are reaping the rewards!

    Now, lets respond to­ those crying foul! Get over it!

    Americans, Germans­ and those Iron Curtain countries should be the last to­ cry foul! You have created and led the world in­ cheating for the last one hundred plus years!

    Now that­ they are conduction both urine and blood tests at the­ olympics, only the true athletes shine! Notice the once­ dominant countries on the track have all but taken ­ back seats at this Olympics!

    It's not all about­ money for Jamaican athletes, it's about NATIONAL­ PRIDE, stupid!

    From drewmarkmark99, on Wed 20 Aug 9:19PM
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