Usain Bolt points at the clock after his 19.19 world record-breaking run at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin (© Getty Images)
Usain Bolt does not do things by halves. On Day Six of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the young Jamaican took his other World record apart, winning the 200 metres in 19.19sec, and securing the fifth gold medal of the week for the Jamaicans.
So that’s a running total of $320,000 in prize money so far – 60,000 for each of the individual victories and two $100,000 World record bonuses as sponsored by IAAF partner TDK.
Alonso Edward of Panama lived up to all the promise he has shown, and won silver with a national record of 19.81sec, and Wallace Spearmon of the USA edged his compatriot Shawn Crawford by 0.04sec for bronze, in 19.85. For the record, Bolt’s colleague Steve Mullings was fifth in 19.98sec. Five men under 20 seconds, another first. But four of them were a long way behind the winner.
Eleven hundredths of a second off his 100 metres World record, and now the same margin off his 200 record. And a winning margin of 0.62sec. Did I say, Usain Bolt does not do things by halves?
When Michael Johnson ran 19.32sec to win the Olympic 200m title in Atlanta 1996, my esteemed colleague E. Garry Hill, editor of Track & Field News, and announcer extraordinaire was heard to say, “I don’t think I’ll live to see that broken”. I wished Mr Hill long life, and in less than a decade and a half, he has survived two generations of new records. While Bolt is about, Mr Hill has more than an even chance of witnessing a couple more demolitions.
400m Hurdles
Bolt was preceded on the track by a colleague who also knows how to come good at the right time. Never discount an Olympic champion. Melaine Walker of Jamaica looked vulnerable in the 400 metres Hurdles this season, while Lashinda Demus of the US, coming back to top competition after a break was tearing up the tracks of Europe. Walker was obviously just pacing herself, as she was in the lane inside Demus in the opening half of the final.
Just when Demus looked as if she turn it on in the finishing straight, Walker sailed past, and just kept going, winning in 53.42sec, a personal best, a championship best, and the second fastest in history, just a tenth of a second outside Yulia Pechonkina’s World record. Demus won silver with 52.96sec, and Josanne Lucas of Trinidad & Tobago underlined her potential with a national record of 53.20sec, for bronze.
High Jump
Blanka Vlasic ensured there would be no replay of her Olympic loss, and in so doing prevented a third German gold medal night. The face-off with Ariane Friedrich never really materialised, and it was Anna Chicherova of Russia who looked a long time winner. Until Vlasic finally cleared 2.04 metres to ensure victory. Friedrich took a final attempt at 2.06 metres, coming very close to her national record. But not close enough. She lost on the countback to Chicherova, on 2.02 metres, and it was the same one-two as in Osaka, with Friedrich third. Antonietta Di Martino, who had shared the silver with the Russian in 2007 ended up fourth this time with 1.99m.
110m Hurdles
When Dayron Robles stopped after knocking down four barriers over in the semi-final, it was time to consider the Curse of the High Hurdles Champion. After Ladji Doucoure of France, winner in Helsinki 2005, and Liu Xiang of China, winner in Osaka 2007 got long-term injuries, now Robles was out.
But it made for a tremendous contest between Ryan Braithwaite of Barbados, and Terrence Trammell and David Payne of the USA. Even the computer took a while to separate them, and Braithwaite still couldn’t believe he had won, until the stadium announcer told him for a third time, and the scoreboard finally showed that his 13.14sec was a national record. Trammell was consigned yet again to a minor medal, but at least it was silver, although he shared the same time as Payne, 13.15sec.
Decathlon
Trey Hardee of the USA had won the Decathlon long before the final event, the 1500 metres, for which he simply had to stay on his feet. In a much delayed second heat, due to a lengthy javelin contest, US champ Hardee finished in 4:48.91, for 8790 points. But Leonel Suarez reversed positions on Aleksandr Pogorelov, with the Cuban running 4:27.25, for 8640 points and silver, while the Russian’s 4:48.70 nevertheless earned him bronze with 8528 points.
Pat Butcher for the IAAF
