Bolt: A Rare Olympian
Bolt strikes twice: Earning his second World Record in the Beijing Olympics after sprinting the whole time in the Men's 200meters. The scene: Wednesday night under the hazy lights at the Bird's Nest, constantly glancing at the clock while heaving his chest toward the finish line -- not simply to beat someone for the gold, but to become a part of track's glorious, and sometimes troubled, history.
He, winning the Olympic 200 meters was already expected. his second gold medal of the Beijing Games given. This was now about a world record. About being the fastest man on the planet racing against history.
Erasing doubts from critics that he is a serious competitor, unlike his performance in the Men's 100 meters which he also won, this time he went all out start to finish forging the greatest race ever run.
"I just blew my mind and blew the world's mind," Bolt said after finishing in 19.30 seconds to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world record, one of the most venerable in the books.
Officially, he won by an astounding 0.66 second over American Shawn Crawford (the biggest margin in an Olympic 200), the defending Olympic champion. Crawford won the silver medal when Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had finished 0.52 behind Bolt, was disqualified after a U.S. protest for running out of his lane. "It feels like a charity case," Crawford said.
The bronze medal went to American Walter Dix when the third man across the line, teammate Wallace Spearmon, also was disqualified for leaving his lane.
Thanks to the DQs in this race, they moved the Americans into silver, bronze positions.
About the Author: The Author is also the Content Provider for Track and Field, Notting Hill and Florida Fishing.
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