Usain Bolt set a new world record of 9.69 seconds in the 100-meter dash in Beijing. But he started celebrating his victory after about 80 meters, and had slowed considerably before he crossed the finish line.
So how much time did Bolt cost himself? His coach, Glen Mills, estimates that it was at least .17 seconds, which means Bolt could have run an other-worldly time of 9.52.
"If he had continued, the slowest he would have run would have been 9.52," Mills told reporters ahead of Friday's Weltklasse athletics meeting in Zurich, where Bolt is due to run the 100.The very idea of a 9.52-second 100-meter dash is hard for me to wrap my head around -- I remember when people thought no one would ever match the steroid-fueled 9.79 that Ben Johnson ran in 1988 -- but I think Mills is right. And at age 21, Bolt will have many more opportunities to shave time off that record. I just hope he doesn't celebrate until the race is run.
"This is his first year of running the 100 meters," Mills said. "In two more years he should be peaking at this distance and by then I am certain he will be down to there."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-27-2008 @ 7:59PM
SanDiegoMark said...
His performance all week was astounding, as was the entire Jamaican sprint team. I just hope that all of them, 100% of them, test clean for any P.E.D.'s. Nobody wants to see another Ben Johnson disaster.
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8-27-2008 @ 9:54PM
step said...
Where are the article son micheal phelps? Why arent people hammering him with doping allegations as well. Is pefromance at the olympics was far suprior even to bolt. But he is white and bolt is BLACK therefore bolt is the obvious cheater. The double standard is obvious. If bolt is cheating so is micheal phelps. Only a matter of time before the truth comes out about micheal phelps.
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8-31-2008 @ 8:59AM
jasscaff said...
why are you talking about race you moron sprinting is infested with drugs so many record holders have been caught doping and now along comes a man who is so far ahead of his field its not comparable to any other sport from a country that does not have efficiant off season drug testing programme he trains at home so does all the other jamaicans who have suddenly popped up in the last fw years to totally dominate all the shorter sprint events are you serious we should not be sceptical not about skin colour you ididot..
8-27-2008 @ 11:52PM
marsha said...
well done to Usain Bolt a guess Jamaica can shine now as the playing fields are now level, no one did more more to the Olympics games than Marion Jones.
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8-28-2008 @ 12:31PM
Frederick said...
Jamaica does not have testing in there country the only testing will be from the international comitee
With that said I think most athletes use some type of substance weather its illegal or unknown.
From Ben Johnson to Carl lewis and everybody since
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8-27-2008 @ 10:08PM
step said...
How long before they bust micheal phelps??? Surley you dont think he's clean lol!!
8-28-2008 @ 4:26PM
Odie said...
I know over the past few years it is hard not to be cynical about the world of sports and performancing enhacing drugs, but it's sad that people like Frederick, and more so Step, have these opinions.
One, Step no one mentioned in this article that Bolt is a doper. His accomplishment is astonishing and it's a shame we'll have to wait longer to see how fast he really can finish the 100 because of his celebration, but I applaud him none the less. Your comments on Phelps are as unwarrented and racist as anyone's similar comments on Bolt are.
These athletes all were tested by the IOC before and after the Olympics and until positive tests are discovered can't we just applaud these athletes for what they did.
I'm a cynic like the rest of you, but I'll at least wait for a postiive test before I condemn Olympic athletes.
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8-30-2008 @ 1:47AM
George B Vieto said...
Showboating in a track and field event is a no no. Usian should realize that tomorrow is not promised to anybody. He should have showboated in the race. I am sure he can break his world record before his career is through.
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8-31-2008 @ 10:51AM
Caleb Page said...
I notice in the comments, that no one is suspecious of Michael Phelps' use of drugs. I am not surprised with these comments. The US is still the most racist country on this planet. If their prisons can lockup 1,000,000 black men in jail, then what can you expect of these bias individuals about blacks in general.
I am a Jamaican and very proud to be one, and can only I am proud not to be born in the USA.
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