After 100 title and record, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt now looks for more excitement in 200, relays

With 100 title and record, Bolt chases gold in 200

BERLIN — Barely an hour after shattering his 100-meter world record for a first world title, Usain Bolt was stretching and jogging at the Olympic Stadium.

After all, one year ago, he followed up such a double at Beijing Bird’s Nest stadium with two more golds and two more world records — in the 200 and sprint relays. Few at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium will be expecting anything less.

Even though he had just turned days of hyperbole into an understatement again by slashing .11 seconds of his record to bring it to 9.58 on Sunday, even Bolt is among the doubters he can turn Berlin into a second Beijing.

“I doubt I will get a world record in the 200,” the Jamaican said.

Looking at repeats of Sunday’s legendary run in the Olympic Stadium might change his mind.

Running full-out in ideal conditions and against the toughest competition possible for the first time in his 22 years, Bolt blew away his own world record and made rival Tyson Gay seem slow despite his setting a U.S. record of 9.71 seconds, the third fastest time in history.

It was the biggest increase in the record since electronic time was introduced in 1968. After Jim Hines ran 9.95 at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, it took 28 years to shave another .11 seconds when Donovan Bailey clocked 9.84 in 1996.

Bolt did the same in 12 months.

After taking away Gay’s first title at the worlds, he knows the rivalry will get even more intense by the time of the 200 heats on Tuesday.

“It is going to be even more difficult because I just took Tyson’s 100 meters champion title,” Bolt said. “He is not going to be smiling with me.”

Gay has his own doubts.

“My groin is barely hanging on,” he said after complaining about it for days.

It makes his title defense in the 200 look even more daunting.

“I’m going to talk to our doctors and everything because it’s kind of with some pain right now — just see how it goes tonight,” the American said.

When Gay kept talking to himself to instill confidence ahead of the race, the carefree Bolt was shadowboxing with Asafa Powell, and making sure his smile showed incessantly on the three huge stadium screens.

That style will not change.

“It is going out there and run my heart out,” Bolt said. “It is going to be fun.”

Relays and a third possible title and world record loom on Saturday.

The Jamaican women were ready to emulate him on Monday during their gold rush in the 100.

“It will definitely give me some energy for mine tomorrow,” defending champion Veronica Campbell-Brown said.

Kerron Stewart ran 10.92 in the 100 for the best time, leading a Jamaican team effort which placed three of their runners in the top four. Carmelita Jeter of the United States was the only one able to split the trio, running 10.94 for second place.

Overall, Jamaica won five of six sprint titles at the Beijing Olympics and left the U.S. team without a single gold. Now, Bolt made it 1-0 for Jamaica.

Other finals on Monday are the men’s hammer throw and 10,000, Yelena Isinbayeva in the pole vault and the women’s triple jump and steeplechase.