Usain Bolt stretches away from the rest of the field to win the Olympic 200m title in 19.30 (© Getty Images)
22 May 2010Shanghai, ChinaUsain Bolt leads a cast of 11 reigning Olympic and 12 current World champions as he makes his IAAF Diamond League debut at the Shanghai Diamond League on Sunday (23).
Shanghai, the second stop on the 14-meeting IAAF Diamond League series, will kick off the 2010 Diamond Race in the men's 200m, 400m, 1500m, 110m Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump, Pole Vault, and Discus Throw. On the women's side, the chase begins in the 100m, 800m, 5000m, 3000m Steeplechase, the 400m Hurdles, Triple Jump and Shot Put.
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Bolt pleased with early season momentum
Of course, two of those Olympic and World titles mentioned above belong to Bolt, the man who has not only transformed the sport since his last appearance in China two years ago, but who has also single-handedly redefined the limits of human speed. By now, the 23-year-old Jamaican, who slashed both the 100m and 200m World records in each of the past two seasons, needs little introduction. His appearance at a pre-meet press conference here yesterday was standing room-only, much as it will be throughout the season.
Bolt’s gotten off to a very fast start this month, first clocking a scintillating 19.56 over 200m at home in Kingston on 1 May, and more recently with a 9.86 victory in Daegu on Tuesday where the track he came to test ahead of next year’s World Championships apparently met his expectations. Both represent Bolt’s quickest-ever season debuts and the Jamaican will be looking to maintain that momentum when he contests the 200m on Sunday at Shanghai Stadium.
“I’m definitely going out there to run fast,” Bolt said. “That’s always my goal.”
While his world-leading 19.56 is far from his 19.19 World record, it’s important to bear in mind that only one runner has ever gone faster.
Among those in the chase pack are Bolt’s compatriot Steve Mullins, who clocked a career best 19.98 for fifth at last year’s World Championships: this year he’s run 20.28 to win in Guadeloupe. Churandy Martina, the fourth place finisher in the 100m at the Olympics two years ago, is also in the field, along with American Ryan Bailey, the 200m winner in Daegu (20.58) who begins his first full international season.
Looking for a sure bet for Sunday despite the chance of rain in the forecast? That the Shanghai Stadium record of 20.24 will fall.
>> Read the full preview on the IAAF Diamond League Website here. <<
See also additional features from Shanghai:
- Fraser welcomes Jeter’s challenge – Glad she ‘raised the bar really, really high’ – IAAF Diamond League
- Oliver - High hurdles Diamond Race is 'wide open' - IAAF Diamond League Shanghai
- Best cure for depression? Laughter, of course! – IAAF Diamond League Shanghai
- Hooker’s challenge, Thorkildsen’s Beckham - IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai
- Liu Xiang cautious over his Shanghai prospects – IAAF Diamond League
- From another planet Bolt relishes return to China and IAAF Diamond League debut
