Usain Bolt Wins Olympic 200 Meter Gold, Sets New World Record of 19.30 Seconds

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Jamaica's Usain Bolt completed his sprint double gold medal today in Beijing, winning the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds, a new world record.

Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles won the silver. American Wallace Spearmon finished third but was disqualified for stepping out of his lane, so fourth-place finisher Shawn Crawford of the United States received the bronze medal. (UPDATE: Martina was also disqualified, so Crawford gets the silver and fifth-place finisher Walter Dix of the U.S. gets the bronze.)

Bolt, who previously set a new world record of 9.69 seconds in the 100 meters, is the first athlete to win both the 100 and the 200 since Carl Lewis in 1984. Bolt is only 21 years old, and track experts are nearly unanimous in saying that a good coach could improve his technique. There's every reason to believe that he will be a dominant sprinter for years to come. He has the talent to become the greatest ever.

American Michael Johnson set the previous 200-meter world record of 19.32 seconds at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, a record that felt at the time like it was unbreakable. But no one knew at the time about a 9-year-old Jamaican named Usain Bolt.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

8-20-2008 @ 10:40AM

hot dog said...

At least now I can go to bed early tonight, since it's been spoiled for me.

8-20-2008 @ 8:07PM

heyngel said...

'track experts are nearly unanimous' LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

tupides ting mi ear in dayze

Listen, we happen to have some track experts here too, and guess what?? they've gotten us 4 golds with more to come

8-20-2008 @ 10:56AM

Dwayne Fagan said...

Congratulations Usain, You are the real superman.

8-20-2008 @ 11:00AM

ElCapitanAmerica said...

Shameful that we are not allowed to see this live.

8-20-2008 @ 11:08AM

Frederick said...

I never understood why you dont get it live in the US

In canada it plays thru the night and you can see all the events live

8-20-2008 @ 11:11AM

pio said...

Usain's times are INSANE! what a great athlete!!

8-20-2008 @ 11:13AM

cheryl said...

bolt you got it you
make jamdom proud

8-20-2008 @ 11:33AM

They do this to pay the bills. NBC had to pay a lot of money for exclusive rights and these type of popular events (including gymnastics) they rather delay and show in "primetime".

I can understand that a bit, but at least they should offer a live web stream with little to no commentary instead of just not showing this or talking about it.

Yes, they won't talk about this result until later. At one point, they'll show you the results with no audio (and a spoiler alert) so you can close your aways or change the channel in case you want to be surprised.

It's pretty silly if you ask me, but that's the deal we got. Other events have been shown live though, like basketball and I think beach volleyball, etc.

8-20-2008 @ 11:38AM

slim said...

Jamaica all the time Usain a the big man we a teck it to them like storm, our country might be little but we very talawa and we have a few more golds to collect the 4x400 meter relays is ours the women's 200m is ours and the women's 4x400m relays are ours too. so them cant stop we. So all the haters teck wey hunu self.

8-20-2008 @ 11:54AM

SASET said...

I AM SO PROUD OF THE JAMAICAN CAMP, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU USAIN AND TO MY COUSIN MELAINE, GOLD IN THE 400 M HURDLES I AM SO SORRY THAT I AM NOT IN JAMAICA RIGHT NOW BECAUSE ITS ALL ABOUT CELEBRATION, NBC HAS TAKEN THAT AWAY FROM ME AND THE REST OF JAMAICANS HERE.

8-20-2008 @ 12:01PM

sylvia simpson said...

I am a proud Jamaican. Usain Bolt congratulations happy birthday. you gave yourself a special gift.

MikeyD. said...

Finally Jamaica can hit the big stage after the great American Balco drug cheats have been silenced. No more druggists on the track so the real athletes can no sure their colours. Gwaaan Jamdung, we large everytime.

8-20-2008 @ 12:07PM

Rachel said...

Usain, you at the best.
JAMAICA is 'tearing it up' in the Olypic t&f.
Go JAMAICA..............you guys are making us so proud!

8-20-2008 @ 12:08PM

sam said...

Congratulations! to my country man Usian Bolt you are the fastest man alive their is no better title than that BIG UP!

8-20-2008 @ 12:21PM

Andre Glegg said...

shut up! what do you mean a good coach could improve his technique, Jamaica has had a long line of sprinters and have been performing good in track and field for a very long time, He wouldn't need any better coach he has the best.

8-20-2008 @ 3:08PM

TDR said...

is brite dem brite!!! I will remind them that all these winning athletes were coached on home soil...MVP to the werl!!! We dont need better coaches!!!

I think they were trying to compliment him but still had to put down our local coaches in the end....They cant just make a good comment and leave it...always something negative...always a but!! He's good....but!

8-20-2008 @ 3:49PM

bluesman said...

I THOUGHT MICHAEL JOHNSON WAS NEVER GOING TO BE BEATEN WHEN I SAW HIS SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM FAST TO FASTER TO FASTEST. BOLT HAS THE CHANCE WITH A LITTLE POLISHING AND AERO-DYNAMIC APPROACH TO HIT 9.2- THIS GUY IS THE REAL DEAL- GET READY FOR A NEW GENERATION OF SPEED!

8-20-2008 @ 8:01PM

I've noticed that they can not resist saying something nasty and totally ridiculous in their articles. It really burns them to be reporting the success of an athlete not from America. I wonder if they ever stand back and look at themselves and at what they say. BITCHY was my first reaction, like a 'ho' dissing a competitor. The man coached the fastest man in the world, to two world record and know-it-all M David Smith disses him!!!!

Did you see Michael Johnson's form when he used to run? and he now coaches - fancy that

I say to Usain, keep shutting them up with your performance on the track - they'll start looking and sounding more and more ridiculous. - laughing stock of the world in fact.

Go Usain go
Go Jamaica go

8-20-2008 @ 12:22PM

Im so happy for the Jamaican athletes...after suffering for years with the cheating americans. We're claiming whats rightfully ours...These gold medals are especially for Merlene Ottey and Juliet Cuthbert who were denied their chance to shine!

And for all those who criticised Usain's premature celebration 20m's before finishing the 100 m final, he had all rights to celebrate....now he can knock his chest a million times!!!