Jamaican Bolt wins men’s 200m world title

DAEGU, South Korea, (Reuters) – Jamaican Usain Bolt  blazed to the 200 metres title at the world championships today in 19.40 seconds to confirm his reputation as the king  of sprinters.
Bolt lost his 100 title to young understudy Yohan Blake last  weekend after being disqualified for a false start in the final  and was in no mood to give up the gold in his favourite event.
Bolt powered home ahead of American Walter Dix while  Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre took the bronze.
“Good run, I wanted to go out there and make up for the  100,” said Bolt, who has had to drive himself back to full  fitness after a back injury.
“This season was harder than last season because I had to  work my way back up,” he added.
Bolt, the world record holder, burst from the blocks and ate  up the ground on Dix on his outside in a matter of strides.
Moving up through the gears around the bend, Bolt emerged at  the top of the home straight with the race in the bag but pushed  himself hard to the line to make sure there would be no more  mistakes.
The 25-year-old double Olympic champion has not been at his   peak this season, struggling to regain top form following the  back injury that ended his 2010 season prematurely.
However, the great showman was at his imperious best on the  penultimate day of competition in Daegu and could still leave  South Korea with two gold medals with the 4×100 relay to come on  Sunday.
Dix, who also won silver in the 100 metres after taking  bronzes over the 100 and 200 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said  he was happy with the race but still had some things he could  work on.
“In Beijing I got two bronzes, I have now got two silvers,  next year gold,” he said in a reference to the London Olympics.
“I knew I had to beat him off the curve, I knew that he was  going to sweep me if I didn’t. He swept me and I couldn’t catch  back up.”
Former 100 world record holder Maurice Greene, who had  picked Blake to beat Bolt in Daegu, said Dix had ran the curve  well but the Jamaican’s acceleration into the straight had made  the difference.
“Walter Dix really make him work the curve because Walter  wanted to win,” said Greene. “But once they got off the curve  Usain just accelerated away.”