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.
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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.
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8-20-2008 @ 11:00AM
ElCapitanAmerica said...
Shameful that we are not allowed to see this live.
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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
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8-20-2008 @ 11:11AM
pio said...
Usain's times are INSANE! what a great athlete!!
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8-20-2008 @ 11:13AM
cheryl said...
bolt you got it you
make jamdom proud
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8-20-2008 @ 11:33AM
ElCapitanAmerica said...
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.
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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.
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8-20-2008 @ 12:01PM
sylvia simpson said...
I am a proud Jamaican. Usain Bolt congratulations happy birthday. you gave yourself a special gift.
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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.
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8-20-2008 @ 3:50PM
SASET said...
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE JAMAICAN CAMP, WI LITTLE BUT WI TALAWAH. CHAT TO WI BACK FOUR GOLDS AND FOUR MORE TO GO. USAIN...... I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT FROM THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU AT THE JUNIOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN KINGSTON JAMAICA. MELAINE, GOLD IN THE 400 M HURDLES, SEE NOTHING NEVER HAPPENS BEFORE ITS TIME.
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8-20-2008 @ 12:01PM
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.
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8-20-2008 @ 2:58PM
Fred Srock said...
You can see beijing 2008 live at
olympiclive.org
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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!
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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!
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8-20-2008 @ 12:27PM
Ceomum said...
Definition: BOLT - Poetic speed in motion
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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.
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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!