China's record dazzles world
Thursday, 21 August 2008
BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters): Jamaica's Usain "Lightning" Bolt roared to gold in the 200 meters Wednesday to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win an Olympic sprint double.
Bolt, whose father says owes his speed and power to the local yam vegetable, had already won the showpiece 100m in swashbuckling style in the Bird's Nest.
He repeated the performance in the highlight of Day 11 of the Beijing Games when he equaled the illustrious American with a commanding win and world record time of 19.30 in the 200m.
Nine men have now won the double sprint in Olympic history.
Bolt, who turns 22 Thursday, has established himself as the joint hero of the Games along with American swimmer Michael Phelps who took an unprecedented eight golds.
Just as Phelps's exploits in the Water Cube, passing Mark Spitz's 1972 Munich record, have thrilled Americans, so Bolt has swelled national pride across his Caribbean homeland.
While Bolt and Phelps have given the standout individual performances so far in the August 8-24 Games, it is team China whose overall record has dazzled the world.
The hosts, who came second to the United States in Athens 2004, have 45 gold medals, a seemingly unassailable lead that marks their emergence as an Olympics superpower.
That will delight the Communist government, for whom the $43 billion Games are a symbol of China's new global standing.
Local windsurfer Yin Jian pumped and glided her way to a first sailing gold for China. Then Wu Jingyu won gold in women's taekwondo on another successful day for the hosts.
The US lie second with a less-than-expected 26 golds, while next Olympics hosts Britain are a surprising third with 16 golds, their best showing in a century.
Bolt, whose father says owes his speed and power to the local yam vegetable, had already won the showpiece 100m in swashbuckling style in the Bird's Nest.
He repeated the performance in the highlight of Day 11 of the Beijing Games when he equaled the illustrious American with a commanding win and world record time of 19.30 in the 200m.
Nine men have now won the double sprint in Olympic history.
Bolt, who turns 22 Thursday, has established himself as the joint hero of the Games along with American swimmer Michael Phelps who took an unprecedented eight golds.
Just as Phelps's exploits in the Water Cube, passing Mark Spitz's 1972 Munich record, have thrilled Americans, so Bolt has swelled national pride across his Caribbean homeland.
While Bolt and Phelps have given the standout individual performances so far in the August 8-24 Games, it is team China whose overall record has dazzled the world.
The hosts, who came second to the United States in Athens 2004, have 45 gold medals, a seemingly unassailable lead that marks their emergence as an Olympics superpower.
That will delight the Communist government, for whom the $43 billion Games are a symbol of China's new global standing.
Local windsurfer Yin Jian pumped and glided her way to a first sailing gold for China. Then Wu Jingyu won gold in women's taekwondo on another successful day for the hosts.
The US lie second with a less-than-expected 26 golds, while next Olympics hosts Britain are a surprising third with 16 golds, their best showing in a century.