Usain Bolt Wins Olympic 100 Meters in World Record Time for Jamaica

By Dan Baynes

Aug. 16-- Usain Bolt won the Beijing Olympics 100 meters gold medal in a world-record 9.69 seconds, waving to the crowd and slapping his chest before crossing the finish line.

Bolt, a 200-meter specialist nicknamed ``Lightning,'' finished 0.2 second ahead of Trinidad's Richard Thompson at the Bird's Nest stadium. Walter Dix of the U.S. took bronze in 9.91. Fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell was fifth, while Tyson Gay of the U.S. failed to qualify for the final of track's premier event.

The 21-year-old Bolt, who only took up the 100 meters as ``speed work'' to prepare for his favored 200 meters, became the first Jamaican and second athlete from the Caribbean to win the 100-meter dash after Trinidad's Hasely Crawford in 1976.

Today's final had been billed as a showdown between the three fastest men in history.

Bolt held the previous world record of 9.72, having lowered Powell's mark of 9.74 in May. World champion Gay set a U.S.-best 9.77 at the U.S. trials, yet ran 10.05 in today's second semifinal and was edged out for fourth place by teammate Darvis Patton. Only the top four advanced.

The 6-foot-5 Bolt is the favorite to win the 200 meters gold medal in Beijing. Gay, the world champion at that distance, failed to qualify after straining his hamstring in a heat at last month's U.S. trials.

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