Sprint king Usain Bolt proved lightning does strike twice on Sunday as he smashed his own 100m world record, exactly one year after setting the previous benchmark at the Beijing Olympics.
Bolt took 33 strides down the track at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and sliced the largest chunk off the world record since electronic timing was introduced, but insisted it was all just a fun day at the office.
”For me, as an athlete I train all year round to run the 100 metres, it’s what I do,” said Bolt after running 9,58sec, smashing his own record of 9,69sec from Beijing.
”So when I get in the blocks, I know what I have to do.
”It means I can have all the fun I want before the race, but when the starters say ‘on your marks’, I just refocus and it’s time to go and I know what I have to do and there are no worries.”
Bolt, who took the Beijing Games by storm last summer, winning all three Olympic sprint golds and in world record times, had overcome a nervy semifinal in which he false started for the first time in his career.
But it was business as usual once the race got under way as the Jamaican dominated from start to finish.
His world record performance is all the more remarkable as the 22-year-old was involved in a car crash in Jamaica last April when his car overturned in a ditch off a highway.
Bolt had a small operation on his left foot, but his lightning strides showed there is nothing wrong with his feet now.
”During the early part of the season, I was just trying to get back into shape and get everything right,” he said before paying tribute to silver medalist Tyson Gay.
”I didn’t think I was really in good shape, I was taking it slow and working my way up and taking my time.
”I knew I would be ready by the time of the competition, I love competing against these guys.
”Tyson is a great athlete, he pushes me to a high level and I know that next season it’s going to be on.”
With Olympic and world championship gold medals now in his possession, Bolt said he was tempted to complete the set of major championship medals by running at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October, 2010.
”I think I will be going to the Commonwealth Games, my coach will decide. I think it’s going to be at the end of the season, so it depends on how long I race next season.”
His Jamaican team-mate Asafa Powell, who claimed bronze here, dryly added: ”I will have to go home and prepare to run 9,58sec.”
Bolt famously breakfasted on chicken nuggets before breaking both the 100m and 200m world records in Beijing and there could only be one choice for his first meal of the day on Sunday.
”I ordered some chicken nuggets this afternoon,” he admitted when asked about his pre-race meal. — AFP
