Jamaica’s Usain Bolt Sets New World Record in Men’s 100-Meter Dash

I generally stay away from writing about sports, but as a Jamaican by birth, I must give much respect to Usain “Thunderbolt” Bolt for setting a new record in the men’s 100-meter dash at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. He enjoyed prime conditions for racing, including a tailwind of 1.7 meters per second. Fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell had set the record of 9.74 seconds about eight months ago.

According to the BBC, Bolt first attracted attention at the 2002 IAAF World Junior Field and Track Championships in Jamaica, winning the 200 meters and finishing second in the 400 meters and 1,600-meter relays. The runner was aiming to win the 200meters, and reportedly used the 100 meters as speed training for the 200 meters.

Bolt first broke the 20-second barrier in the 200 meters in 2004, finishing with a time of 19.93 seconds. He broke last year a Jamaican record that had stood for 36 years with a time of 19.75 seconds. Last year, he ran as an adult and finished second to Tyson Gay of the United States in the 200-meter dash in the Osaka world championships.

He then won the 100-meter dash in an invitational competition in Jamaica last month in 9.76 seconds. Sprinter Gay said, “He ran a perfect race. I`ve got to take my hat off to him.” At 6-feet-5, Bolt is taller than the six-foot Gay. The eye-popping new record has Bolt setting his sights on the Beijing Summer Olympics. He could pull off a sprint double, or two gold medals in two sprint events. Few runners have done so in the Olympics, including Jesse Owens in 1936 and Carl Lewis in 1984.

In September last year, Powell was the first to break 9.75 seconds, which had been thought to be unreachable. Armanin Hary of West Germany was the first to break the ten-second benchmark in 1960. Eight years later, Jim Hines of the United States lowered the mark to 9.95 seconds. Fifteen years later, fellow American Calvin Smith set the figure at 9.93. Runners, however, have gotten faster with the development of science and training methods.

So, I would like to congratulate Usain Bolt for a race well done and for setting a new world record. I expect great things from the Jamaican Track & Field team at the upcoming Olympics in China. The Jamaican team has always been formidable in every track and field meet in which they perform and they will continue to shine in this arena for years to come.

Filed under: Asafa Powell, Jamaica, track and field, Usain Bolt