LONDON, England, CMC – Jamaica’s super sprinter Usain Bolt waltzed to another magnificent win yesterday when he crushed the 100-metre field in 9.91 seconds on the opening day of the two-day AVIVA London Grand Prix.
Bolt, the reigning Olympic sprint double champion, accelerated away from the field in the second half of the race and was unchallenged at the finish, leading home his Jamaican team-mate Yohan Blake (10.11) with Antiguan Daniel Bailey third in 10.13 seconds.
Former world record holder Asafa Powell was sixth.
There was one other Caribbean win on the opening day of the meet, one of main build-up events for next month’s IAAF World Championships, Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie scoring in the women’s 200 in 23.11 seconds.
Running against a head-wind of 1.7 metres per second at Crystal Palace Stadium, Bolt raced with the field early before stamping his class midway in the event and running out a very easy winner as he takes aim at the sprint double at the August 15-23 World Championship in Berlin, Germany.
“I feel really good about going to Berlin and I’m going there on a mission,” Bolt told reporters.
A 16,000 capacity crowd, many of them Jamaicans, watched the event.
“It’s a Jamaican crowd so it was always going to be good for me,” Bolt said.
Bolt celebrated his success for several minutes on the track with trademark Jamaican dance moves to delight the fans.
“That’s just me, the crowd loves it so I’ll just continue,” Bolt added.
The 19-year-old Blake finished fast and snatched second ahead of Bailey, with Britain’s Simeon Williamson fourth in 10.19 seconds.
Powell, the former world record holder, fell out of contention in the last 30 metres and clocked a disappointing 10.26 seconds for sixth.
Bolt had been third in the earlier heats. He jogged to a 10.31-second clocking behind Bailey (10.26) in the second heat, which was contested in a head-wind of -2.9 metres per second.
Blake narrowly won heat one in 10.18 seconds over American Ivory Williams (10.18) and Powell (10.19) also into a head-wind (-1.5 mps).
Former Olympic sprint relay champion Ferguson-McKenzie dominated the women’s 200 with a solid run.
Coming off the turn in front, Ferguson-McKenzie easily repelled challenges from American Marshavet Hooker (23.30) and Britain’s Emily Freeman (23.34) down the homestretch.
The US Virgin Islands’ LaVerne Jones (23.39), Jamaican Aleen Bailey (23.59) and Cayman’s Cydonie Mothersill (24.27) placed fourth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
Ferguson-McKenzie also led Bahamas to second-place in the women’s sprint relay in 43.35 seconds, behind the USA (42.39).
Barbadian Ryan Brathwaite narrowly lost the men’s sprint hurdles after pushing Olympic champion Dayron Robles all the way.
Cuban Robles snatched victory in 13.29 seconds, 0.02 seconds ahead of Brathwaite (13.31), who had won his semi-final heat in 13.36 seconds.
American Brandon Phillips posted 17.33 metres to win the men’s triple jump in which Bahamian Leevan Sands got fourth at 17.13 metres, with Grenadian Randy Lewis (17.02m) sixth.
Bahamian Christine Amertil (52.20) and Guyana’s Aliann Pompey (52.52) placed fifth and seventh respectively in the women’s 400 that Britain’s Nicola Sanders won in 51.54 seconds.
