Usain Bolt - The New Fastest Man on Earth

AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

Jamaican Usain Bolt is the new fastest man on earth, with a time of 9.72 seconds in the 100 meter sprint at the Reebok Grand Prix athletics meet Saturday, May 31, 2008 at Icahn Stadium in New York.

Jamaican Asafa Powell is now the number two fastest man of world. So the two fastest men in the world are Jamaicans. Bim!

Jamaican Usain Bolt Breaks the 100m World Record

by Teswayne Harris

Before the start of Saturday’s Reebok Grand Prix, many people were asking, ‘Who is Usain Bolt?” but after smashing the 100 meters world record in 9.72 seconds, Jamaican Usain Bolt answered this question, claiming the title: the world’s fastest man.

Bolt, the youngster out of Trelawny, Jamaica and a graduate of William Knibb High school led from the start and ended the race with his closest rival, Tyson Gay, five meters away in his 6^th

professional 100m race.

Normally a 200 meters specialist , the Puma-endorsed athlete used his 6’5’ frame to stride and glide to victory in front of the frenzied and partisan Jamaican fans, visibly attired in black, green and gold in the sold-out crowd of more than 6,500 at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, NY.

Initially, the clock showed 9.71 and Bolt, obvious elated, kept on running until he was flocked by supporters and media officials. One of this biggest supporters was the Jamaican Minister of Sports and Culture, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange who donned her Team Jamaica Bickle cap on Bolt’s head. Later on, Bolt proudly wrapped himself in a huge Jamaican flag.

It was unclear how Bolt would perform outside of Kingston where he has clocked his fastest times to date, 19.75 in the 200m, and more recently 9.76 at the Jamaica Invitational, the second fastest time in the history of the 100m dash. This was his first signal to the world that he could break the then world record of 9.74 set by his countryman Asafa Powell last September in Rieti, Italy.

Bolt, 21, did what Powell could not do at last year‘s World Championship: beat Gay. A defeated Gay was gracious in defeat, acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to stop the man who is known as “lightning Bolt”.

“We were on the same rhythm,” Gay added, “but his stride was covering more ground. He’s run 9.7 before [and] his body knows what it feels like.”

Now Gay will have to worry about two Jamaicans in the 100m at this year’s Olympics in Beijing. He faces Powell on July 25-26 at the London Grand Prix. This duel was billed as the world record holder v. the world champion, but Bolt’s record-breaking run has spoiled such matchup.

Bolt is well aware of Powell’s well documented failures to win a major title - World Championship or Olympic - despite holding the world record. He will aim to add at least one gold to the silver he collected at last year’s World Championship.

“The world record means nothing without gold medals in the World Championships or the Olympics,” he noted. “I don’t need to break the record now. It’s mine now.”

Deciding only to run the 100m as speed preparation for the 200m, Bolt is now the hands-on favorite for the 100m in Beijing. There is no doubt now that he will attempt to be the first Jamaican to capture the Olympic sprint double this summer.

With an outburst of laughter , he said, “I think I’ll be doubling.” After a false start, and a world record 9.72 seconds later, who wouldn’t be laughing.

Read even more all about it here: The Jamaica Observer

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