| Watch over 50 IAAF Events Live and On-Demand at WCSN.com |
Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record in the 100m on Saturday, dashing 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City.
Bolt, only 21, knocked .02 seconds from the previous record set by his compatriot Asafa Powell nine months ago in Rieti, Italy.
“I wasn't looking for a world record but it came to me today and I'll take it,” said Bolt, who astoundingly, has only contested the event five times. Earlier this spring, he sped to the fore with a 9.76 performance at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston.
“I had the idea that I could run the world record. I did well running 9.9 and lower. I was pretty confident coming in here.”
Inclement weather delayed the meet for nearly two hours, with the men’s 100m the final event on the program but the rain obviously had little impact on Bolt.
“My coach said concentrate on the drive phase and that's what I did.”
Bolt, who took 200m silver at last year’s world championships, will now be a solid favorite in both events at the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, a goal obviously now on the young sprinter’s mind. “It doesn't matter if I have the world record if I don't have the Olympic gold medal.”
Bolt handily defeated reigning world 100 and 200m champion Tyson Gay, who was a distant second in 9.85, a performance just shy of his 9.84 career best.
“9.84 is my PR, 9.85 was my time today. I wasn't supposed to be this fast yet, but it’s okay.”
“I knew that this track was fast and I thought that a 9.7 was possible,” Gay said. “Obviously I have some work to do. Right now, it’s hats off to Bolt. Today was his day.”
“We were in the same rhythm but his stride pattern covered more ground,” Gay added. At 6-5, Bolt is by far the tallest world class sprinter of his generation.
Elsewhere, another Jamaican, world 100m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, ran a world leading 10.91 to win the women’s race.
“I'm running good,” said Campbell-Brown, who is also the reigning Olympic 200m champion. A year ago Campbell-Brown won here in 10.93. “My object is to run faster than I did last year. I accomplished that and I'm happy.”
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?
