World Record For Jamaican Usain Bolt!
Published: Sunday | June 1st, 2008

Twenty-one-year-old Usain Bolt is the new world record-holder in the Men's 100 meters after smashing Asafa Powell's 10-month-old mark with a brilliant, scintillating 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix at the Icahan Stadium in New York on the night of Saturday, May 31st.

Just after 11:00 pm New York time on a cool evening, after a false start and a recall, Bolt - who was running his fifth 100m as a senior - continued his assault on track & field's most prestigious event after running 9.76 and 9.92 seconds earlier this month.   The win was a legal 1.7 meters per second (m/s), under the 2.0 m/s limit.

Bolt beat world champion Tyson Gay, who ran 9.85 seconds, while Darvis Patton was third in 10.07 seconds.

Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, was ecstatic after the race, telling the Sunday Observer his charge was "so committed and fired up to run the 100m, I knew he had it in him".

The smallish stadium just on the tip of Manhattan was transformed into a sea of yellow and green as hundreds of Jamaicans descended on the venue that was sold out to its capacity of 6,490 by 6:00 pm when the meet got off to a delayed start.  The event was affected by bad weather as a quick-moving storm accompanied by lightning forced a stoppage just after 7:00 pm, an hour after the start of the meet that was already delayed by an hour.  Weather forecasters had predicted thunderstorms from mid-afternoon lasting through the evening. The light rains which fell early, however, held up and the meet started under clear skies with intermittent sunshine until the rains came.

Bolt was not the only Jamaican winner as World and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown won the Women's 100m.  Campbell-Brown shook off a false start to blaze to a world-leading 10.91 seconds into a negligible win 0.9 seconds per hour to win in a new meet record, beating her own 10.93secs set at last year's meet.  Campbell-Brown, who said she was a bit anxious when she false-started, edged Americans Marshevet Hooker, 10.94, and Muna Lee, 10.97.

Lauren Williams, who was expected to give Campbell-Brown her toughest competition, finished fourth in 11.13 seconds.  Pan-American Games 4x100m gold medallist, Peta-Gaye Dowdie, was fourth in the B race in 11.29 seconds behind winner Lisa Barber, who ran 11.13 seconds.

National 400m champion, Novlene Williams, was second in the 400m in 50.70 seconds, trailing Jamaican-born American Sanya Richards, who won in a new meet record 50.04 - the third fastest in the world this year and beating Allison Felix's 50.53 set last year.

Shereefa Lloyd was fourth in 51.49 seconds and Sonita Sutherland seventh in 52.89.  Danny McFarlane and Shevon Stoddart were both second in the Men's and Women's 400m hurdles races.

McFarlane, who was recovering from allergies earlier in the week, was "satisfied" with this 48.95 seconds clocking, but said he was looking to run a bit faster, "around 48.70".  McFarlane, who said he was "trying out" a new pair of spikes from his equipment sponsor, Reebok, said he felt a bit "sluggish" in the race.

The Trinidad-born USA representative, Kerron Clement, won in 48.40 seconds, while another American, Michael Tinsley, was third in 49.25 seconds.

Stoddart was beaten into second place by a new meet record 55.17 seconds run by the USA's Lashinda Demus, finishing in 55.54 seconds.

The previous record 55.46 seconds was set by Sheena Johnson in 2005.

Despite finishing at the back of the field in the Men's discus throw with a season best 60.14m, Jason Morgan was happy with his form.  Morgan, who will compete at the Island Games next weekend here in New York before coming home for the National Trials, achieved his best throw on his final attempt after just two legal throws of 56.48m and 56.04m.

Edino Steele was a close second in the Men's B 400m race, running 46.49 seconds out of lane 8, beaten to the line by the American Ericson Hurtault who won in 46.32 seconds.

Jermaine Gonzales, who was drawn in lane 2, was a disappointing eighth in 47.46 seconds.

The Trinidadian, Aaron Armstrong, won the B 100m race in 10.10 seconds, out-leaning the USA's Rodney Martin, 10.12, seconds and Ashhad Agyapong, 10.13. seconds.