Sunday, June 28, 2009

Bolt rules out threat to record

Usain Bolt
Bolt coasted to victory in the Jamaican championships this weekend

Olympic champion Usain Bolt has dismissed Tyson Gay's claims that he can steal his world 100m record.

Jamaican Bolt holds the record with 9.69 seconds set at the 2008 Beijing Games but Gay says he may beat that after clocking 9.75 at the US trials.

"No disrespect to Tyson but that is going to be a hard for task for him, he is more of a 200m runner," Bolt said.

Bolt ran the fastest non-assisted time of the year with 9.86 to beat Asafa Powell and capture the Jamaican title.

Powell was quicker out of the blocks in Kingston but Bolt overtook him midway through the race and was able to ease to victory.

"It was good. I am just happy that I finished injury-free and I am feeling good," he said.

Asked about Powell's progress, Bolt added: "I would say Asafa is coming into shape and that is a good thing, his ankle is getting better. It is going to be a good season, as soon as he gets into shape its going to be very interesting."

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Into a 0.2 negative wind, Powell, who said he was still experiencing discomfort with an ankle injury, clocked 9.97 to finish second.

"It was a fairly good race because I am basically running on one leg, so I'm fairly happy," he said. "The aim was just to finish in the top two.

"The ankle has really surprised me - I thought it would be gone by now but (the problem is) still there."

Gay failed to qualify for the final in Beijing last year after injury hampered his preparations but has the chance to test Bolt in the world championships in Berlin in August.

He was in confident mood after a speedy, albeit wind-assisted 9.75 seconds in his first 100m of the season at the US world championship trials in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday.

But Bolt played down suggestions that his world record was in danger and said: "He had a lot of (wind) assistance for that time. It is going to be very hard for him."

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