Bolt speeds to year’s fastest 100 meters
KINGSTON: Jamaican Olympic champion Usain Bolt held his nerve after two false starts by competitors and powered to the year’s fastest 100 meters at the Jamaica International Invitational on Saturday.
The 100 and 200 world record holder clocked a dazzling 9.82 seconds in his first individual race of 2012, exploding from the blocks to take control at 40 meters.
“It’s a good start, I would say,” said Bolt, who erased the previous seasonleading time of 9.90 by his training partner and world champion Yohan Blake three weeks ago.
“I feel better than last year, so I’m definitely happy with myself,” Bolt added.
“I don’t think my execution was perfect, but I think for my first race it was good.”
Michael Frater, a member of Jamaica’s world record 4x100 relay team, finished a distant second in exactly 10 seconds.
Bolt was disqualified from last year’s 100 final at the world championships because of a false start, but was not perturbed by the delays.
“A couple of false starts will throw you off, but I stayed focused and went out there and executed as best as possible, so I’m just happy with myself,” he said.
Although pleased with the last 50 meters of the race, the lanky sprinter, who owns world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200, said he must continue to work on the first phase of the shorter race.
“I always try to work on my first 40 meters because the last 40 meters is always the best part of my race,” he said. “So over the season as I get more fit and get more fluent it will definitely get better.”
Blake also added a season-leading performance, one of four in the meeting. The world 100 champion clocked 19.91 seconds in the 200.
“Bolt erased my world lead in the 100 so I though I would set a world lead in the 200,” the Jamaican said.
Top performances of the year also came in the women’s 100 and 400.
World champion Carmelita Jeter took the shorter race in 10.81 seconds, finishing ahead of Kelly-ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago, who ran 10.86. Jamaican Olympic silver medallist Kerron Stewart was third in 10.98.