20 August : Jamaica’s 100m champion Usain Bolt on Wednesday created sensation by annexing 200 metre sprint in a record time of 19.30 seconds and become the winner of the first Olympic sprint double in 24 years.
American icon Carl Lewis last won the sprint double in 1984 The 21-year-old Bolt owns the three fastest 200m times this season.Bolt, who dominated the 100m final with a world record time, said he thought the double last achieved by American icon Carl Lewis in 1984 was on the cards, and that he had another spectacular performance in him.
The 21-year-old Bolt owns the three fastest 200m times this season."This is tougher for me as I have been through four rounds of the 100m and this is the first time I’ve had to do eight rounds in a championships," he admitted.
"I’m feeling it, but I feel like I’ve got one run left in me."Defending champion Shawn Crawford heads the field of men trying to deny Bolt a second gold.
Also on Bolt’s tail will be Walter Dix, the American 100m bronze medalist, Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles, Zimbabwe’s Brian Dzingai and Wallace Spearmon, who won 200m bronze at the world championships last year.
The 200m final highlighted a light day of action at the Bird’s Nest, with the women’s 400m hurdles and women’s hammer the only other medal events.In all, 11 gold medals were up for grabs in all sports.That included the first Olympic gold ever offered in open-water swimming. DDINEWS