Sport - sprinting

Lightning fast Bolt strikes again

Article published on the 2009-08-17 Latest update 2009-08-17 09:59 TU

(Photo: Reuters)

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt broke his own world record in the 100m Sunday night, running the distance in 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin. Bolt bested his own record-setting performance exactly one year ago at the Beijing Olympics by 0.11 seconds – the largest improvement on a world record since electronic timing was introduced in 1968.

Bolt took only 33 strides to become the first person to break the 9.6 second barrier - a feat he plays down.

"For me, as an athlete I train all year round to run the 100 metres, it's what I do," said Bolt.

"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 dazzled the world at last year’s Beijing Olympics by winning all three sprints (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay) in world-record-setting times.

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.

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."