Usain Bolt 200 meter 19.19 world record Berlin 2009
Usain Bolt Dashes To 200-Meter World Record
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt demolished another of his own world records Thursday, winning the men's 200-meter race in a torrid 19.19 seconds at the world track and championships in Berlin.
The previous mark was 19.30 seconds.
Gritting his teeth and pointing to the clock as soon as the time flashed, Bolt is now 5 for 5 in major sprint events. He has won a gold medal each time with a world mark.
His time in the 200 at these world championships slashed 0.11 seconds off the record he set last year, four days after breaking his 100 mark by the same margin.
Alonso Edward of Panama was second, a distant 0.62 seconds behind Bolt. Wallace Spearmon of the United States took bronze.
"Just coming out there, I'm just waiting for the lights to flash 'game over,' cause I felt like I was in a video game," said Shawn Crawford, who finished fourth. "That guy was moving — fast."
After defending champion Tyson Gay had withdrawn because of injury, Bolt's main competitor stood beyond the finishing line — a huge track clock painted in the same colors as his Jamaican jersey.
With a new take on President Kennedy's famous Cold War quote "Ich bin ein Berliner," Bolt pleased the locals with a training jersey saying "Ich bin ein Berlino," referring to the bear mascot of the championships.
His running was even better than his show. From Lane 5, he gobbled up all the opposition by the end of the curve, and then let those huge arms and legs loose in a whirl of unmatched speed.
Once across the line, he stuck out his tongue much in the manner of basketball great Michael Jordan. And in track, he now has the same exalted stature.
Bolt took off his orange shoes, which had taken him though through eight races in six days, and he started celebrating on the eve of his 23rd birthday.
It was the first sultry evening in Berlin, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, reminiscent of that same day, exactly one year ago, in Beijing.
During warmups, Bolt faked knocking out Spearmon, with the American happily playing along as he also was sucked up by the Bolt aura. Afterward, Spearmon could do nothing but applaud greatness.
Usain Bolt Dashes To 200-Meter World Record
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt demolished another of his own world records Thursday, winning the men's 200-meter race in a torrid 19.19 seconds at the world track and championships in Berlin.
The previous mark was 19.30 seconds.
Gritting his teeth and pointing to the clock as soon as the time flashed, Bolt is now 5 for 5 in major sprint events. He has won a gold medal each time with a world mark.
His time in the 200 at these world championships slashed 0.11 seconds off the record he set last year, four days after breaking his 100 mark by the same margin.
Alonso Edward of Panama was second, a distant 0.62 seconds behind Bolt. Wallace Spearmon of the United States took bronze.
"Just coming out there, I'm just waiting for the lights to flash 'game over,' cause I felt like I was in a video game," said Shawn Crawford, who finished fourth. "That guy was moving — fast."
After defending champion Tyson Gay had withdrawn because of injury, Bolt's main competitor stood beyond the finishing line — a huge track clock painted in the same colors as his Jamaican jersey.
With a new take on President Kennedy's famous Cold War quote "Ich bin ein Berliner," Bolt pleased the locals with a training jersey saying "Ich bin ein Berlino," referring to the bear mascot of the championships.
His running was even better than his show. From Lane 5, he gobbled up all the opposition by the end of the curve, and then let those huge arms and legs loose in a whirl of unmatched speed.
Once across the line, he stuck out his tongue much in the manner of basketball great Michael Jordan. And in track, he now has the same exalted stature.
Bolt took off his orange shoes, which had taken him though through eight races in six days, and he started celebrating on the eve of his 23rd birthday.
It was the first sultry evening in Berlin, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, reminiscent of that same day, exactly one year ago, in Beijing.
During warmups, Bolt faked knocking out Spearmon, with the American happily playing along as he also was sucked up by the Bolt aura. Afterward, Spearmon could do nothing but applaud greatness.