Olympic athletics: Bolt claims historic double with 200m gold (Lead)
August 10th, 2012 - 3:56 am ICT by IANSLondon, Aug 10 (IANS) In a display of his sprint dominance to sports fans around the world, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the 200 metres Thursday.
“There is no doubt who is going to come out on top, this is my favourite event and I’m looking forward to it. People always doubt the champion, but I don’t have any doubts,” Bolt had said after winning his 200 metre semi-final Wednesday night.
Twenty-four hours later, Bolt’s self-confidence was proved to be well-founded as went on to write his name in the history books as the first man ever to win 100 and 200 metre titles in successive Olympic Games, Xinhua reported.
Bolt was in front from the off, getting the sort of start he had taken in the semis and running a killer bend to put him a metre-and-a-half over his only possible rival on the night — Yohan Blake.
For a moment, it looked as if Blake would close on the maestro, but that was a chimera as Bolt found another gear and powered over the line with Blake second and Warren Weir giving Jamaica 1-2-3.
Bolt celebrated with a series of press-ups for the waiting cameraman who had gathered in hordes behind the finishing line.
The race was the second showdown of the Games between Bolt and Blake after Bolt had won gold in the 100 metres with an Olympic record of 9.63 seconds, the second fastest time in history.
Blake had beaten Bolt in the 200 metres in the Jamaican trials and was looking forward to repeat the triumph on the track in London.
“I’ve been working very hard on the 200 metres, I have to execute things well to have a chance of winning,” Blake had said Wednesday after running the fastest qualifying time of 20.05.
He went even better in the final, finishing with a season’s best of 19.44, but once again Bolt showed that he can turn on his lightning speed whenever it is needed.
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- Olympic athletics: Bolt storms to 200m glory to make history - Aug 10, 2012
- Olympic athletics: Bolt, Brathwaite anxiously eyeing semis - Aug 08, 2012
- Olympics: Jamaica celebrates historic 200m one-two-three - Aug 10, 2012
- Olympics: Bolt creates history winning 100m, 200m (Roundup) - Aug 10, 2012
- Bolt screams to Olympic 100m gold (Lead) - Aug 06, 2012
- Bolt will face stiff challenge from Blake: Holmes - May 04, 2012
- Olympics: Bolt breezes into 200m final - Aug 09, 2012
- Sluggish Bolt wins as sharp Blake also triumphs - Sep 08, 2012
- Bolt beaten in 100m at Jamaican Olympic trials - Jun 30, 2012
- Forget winning 200m title, Bolt tells Blake - Aug 08, 2012
- Olympics: Jamaicans rejoice as Bolt wins 100m final - Aug 06, 2012
- Bolt, Blake to lead Caribbean challenge - Aug 22, 2012
- Olympics: Bolt admits to pressure ahead of 100m conquest - Aug 07, 2012
- Bolt, Blake break meet records in Lausanne - Aug 24, 2012
Tags: bolt, cameraman, dominance, fastest time, first man, gold medal, history books, hordes, lightning speed, maestro, no doubt, olympic games, olympic record, self confidence, semis, sports fans, time in history, twenty four hours, weir, xinhua