BERLIN, Germany, CMC – In a magnificent show of blistering speed, Jamaican marvel Usain Bolt dashed to a stunning world record 9.58 seconds and left his rivals in reverse mode as he won the 100-metre gold at the 12th IAAF World Championship last night.
Bolt’s commanding performance relegated American defending champion Tyson Gay to a soundly beaten second position. “I was definitely ready for the WR and I did it. I am proud of myself,” Bolt said. Bolt chopped a huge 0.11 seconds off his previous world record of 9.69 and looked leagues ahead of the entire field as deposed champion Gay grimaced his way into second spot in a career-best and US national record 9.71 seconds.
Former world record holder Asafa Powell placed third in a personal season’s best 9.84 seconds, giving the powerful Jamaican sprint factory, two of the three medals in the marquee event, the most eagerly anticipated clash of the meet.
Bolt, who turns 23 years old on Friday said:“For me it was a great run. This is big in Jamaica. I just came to execute and I did it right,” said Bolt on the anniversary of his magnificent Beijing world record run of 9.69 seconds.
Gay produced his quickest ever time but even the best race of his life was not good enough to pose a threat to Bolt.
“I am disappointed to have lost the race but I have run my fastest time. I cannot complain. Bolt ran a good race. I did my best but it was not good enough,” Gay said.
“I will keep on running and look forward to 200m,” Gay added.
As many as five Caribbean athletes contested the final and the Antiguan Daniel Bailey got fourth in 9.93 seconds and Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson was fifth, also in 9.93, his fastest time this season.
Thompson’s T&T team-mate Marc Burns finished seventh in 10.00 seconds.
Bolt’s stunning curtain performance on the day’s proceedings sealed a fine day for Caribbean athletes overall on day two of the nine-day championship.
The second round of the women’s 100 metres saw wins for Jamaicans Kerron Stewart and Veronica Campbell-Brown, the defending champion.
Stewart was the quickest of the round at 10.92 seconds and Campbell-Brown won in 10.99.
Americans Lauryn Williams (11.06) and Carmelita Jeter (10.94) were the other quarter-final winners, Jeter taking quarter-final Heat 4 over Jamaica’s Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser (11.02).
Stewart won Heat 1 ahead of Bahamian veteran Chandra Sturrup (11.06) and the other Bahamian veteran Debbie Ferguson (11.08) chased home Campbell-Brown in Heat 3.
Other CARICOM qualifiers for Monday’s semi-finals are the British Virgin Islands’ Tahesia Harrigan (11.21), and the T&T trio of Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.05), Semoy Hackett (11.37) and Ayanna Hutchinson (11.40).
