Instant Analysis - Bolt Makes It Reign In Zürich

Usain Bolt meet the world’s sports fans. World sports fans meet Usain Bolt of Jamaica—the track's newly crowned megastar.

-Zurich, Switzerland-The Golden League meet in Zürich was the perfect setting for lightening quick times. A sold out crowd of 22,000 spectators provided an electric atmosphere that produced some extremely fast times. A bit of fatigue from the Olympic Games appeared evident on the part of distance runners, but the sprinters put down some fast times.

Before the gun went off, it was the usual routine. Usain Bolt was bobbing and weaving and playing it up before getting into the blocks. When his name was called out, the fans gave went wild for the man who less than two weeks ago was apart of three world record performances. The Olympic champion could have at least made it look somewhat difficult. Bolt gave the fans their money's worth. He got out to a slow start before blazing 9.83 seconds over 100-meters. The reigning Olympic champion was ahead of Walter Dix (9.93) and Richard Thompson (10.09).

Where was his kick when Wariner needed it the most two weeks ago? Reigning Olympic champ LaShawn Merrittt had the inside lane today, but it was not good enough to beat Jeremy Wariner. Coming down the final turn, Wariner had a one step lead that he opened up to about five meters winning in 43.82 over Merritt (44.43).

Lolo Jones picked up where she left off before hitting a hurdle in Beijing. The U.S. Olympic Trials champion won in 12.56, beating a field which included 110-meter hurdle Olympic champion Dawn Harper. Harper (12.73) finished in a distant seventh place.

It was certainly a win, but it was not the win that Sanya Richards has been dreaming about for quite some time. After winning bronze in Bejing, Richards won a commanding race today in a season’s best time of 49.75. There have been assertions that Richards choked in the 400-meter Olympic final. The real story is that Richards didn’t run fast enough to beat the world’s best. The looming question is why this season the American record holder has not been within a second of the 48.70 that she ran back in 2006.

The 110 hurdles was a close one. David Oliver, the only man to defeat Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba, almost accomplished that feat for a second time this season. Oliver raced Robles down to the end, but came up short.

It may not have been as clean as the 400 hurdle victory in Beijing. But Angelo Taylor (48.07) took it out extremely hard the first half of the race before finishing ahead of Kerron Clement (48.20) of the U.S. and Jamaica’s Danny McFarland (48.40). Bershawn Jackson (49.18) finished in seventh place.

By Jay Hicks.

Bolt Inching Towards History

Usain Bolt is the man to beat in the 200-meters. He is still riding high off of his 100-meter world record and hoping to become the first man since Carl Lewis to win the 100 and 200 double.

The men semi-finals took place in the evening after the athletes ran opening rounds in the morning.

Bolt (20.29) narrowly edged out Shawn Crawford (20.42) to win his semi-final heat. Walter Dix (20.27) worked a little harder in the final 30 meters than he probably wanted to while finishing second in his heat.

When will Wallace Spearmon start running the turn?

He poured it on down the stretch to take second in his heat with 20.39. If Spearmon doesn't improve at the first half of the race, he may very well find himself too far out of position to contend for a medal in the finals.

At this point, Dix and Bolt have run a total of six races. With that, it is unlikely that we will see Michael Johnson's world record of 19.32 fall in the finals.

Never before has Bolt come into the finals of a championship race with a full round of 100-meter runs under his belt. The best strategy to challenge Bolt in the finals is for Dix or Crawford to get out the first 30 meters like they have junk yard dogs on their tail.

It is lights out in the finals if Bolt comes off the turn with lead.

By Jay Hicks.

Usain 'Lightning" Bolt Wins 100-Meter Gold

Beijing-Analysis. Bolt Made 9.69 World Record Look Easy!

The race left me speechless.

Wow!

What is the adequate response to the 9.69 that Usain Bolt delivered? I guess that he is the greatest sprinter of all-time.

Who knows what the results would have been, if he had not started celebrating twelve meters out from the finish line.

He flew past his previous world record mark of 9.74.

In second, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran 9.89. Walter Dix the former Florida State champion was third in 9.91. Both runners ran the fastest times of their lives to hit the medal stand. Doc Patton was eighth in 10.03.

In predictable fashion, his countrymen Asafa Powell, was nowhere in sight at the end finishing fifth in 9.95. In the Prerace Jitters predictions, Powell was pegged for fourth place even though he carries a personal best of 9.76, and is the former world record holder.

Bolt set the bar extremely high on the second day of Olympic competition. His performance may very well go down as the single most impressive track performance of the games.

Unless, of course the Lightning Bolt has historic (read: world record) performance in the 200-meter finals.

By Jay Hicks.

Gay, Powell, and Bolt Breeze Through 100-meters Heats

-Beijing-Analysis-In Preparation For Saturdays Semi-finals and Finals.

For many of the sprinters, the first round of 100-meter heats, were a chance to shake off the rust. Many have not competed in at least two weeks and for Tyson Gay, it has been six weeks since he last ran at the U.S Olympic Trials.

The typical race strategy for champion racing is a combination of posturing and working on the different pieces of the race such as: the start and drive phase. Normally athletes do not like to show all of the stuff until the finals.

There were no major upsets in the morning, as The Big Three 100-meter runners easily made it through the first heat of the 100-meters rounds. Tyson Gay looked completely healed today as he was conserving energy and preparing for the next round ahead of him.

Times heated up a bit in the quarter-final heats that took place during the evening.

It appeared that Usain Bolt’s run of 9.92, was easy to him and that he burned very little energy. The world record holder maintains his status as the favorite to win gold, however history has shown that running the fastest times through the rounds is no guaranteed for victory in the finals. Veteran Darvis Patton (10.04) of the U.S. was second behind Bolt in that quarter-final heat.

Tyson Gay placed second in his heat (10.02), behind Former LSU runner Richard Thompson of Trinidad. In the final heat of the afternoon, Asafa Powell easily won in 10.02 seconds, followed closed by Walter Dix (10.08) of the U.S. placed.

By Jay Hicks.

Gaz de France Paris, France Preview

Friday, July 18, 2008
TV: July 18, 2:30-4:30 p.m., ESPN Classic
TV: July 18, 4:00-6:00 p.m., ESPN2

Online: USA Track & Field
Online: Trackshark.com

The IAAF Golden League circuit, also known as the European circuit, picks up again on Friday from Paris. The $1 Million Golden League Jackpot will be shared between the athletes capable of winning all of the six events in their own discipline. If no one completes this feat, the athletes having won 5 events will then have to share a $500,000 jackpot.

In a league of her own, Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo is a candidate left to win the $1 Million Golden League Jackpot along with Russian high jumper Blanka Vlasic. She ranks 6th on the all-time list at 800-meters with a stunning time of 1:54.99.

Will the freshly paid Walter Dix win his professional debut? Nike broke Dix off nicely after the Olympic Trials, making him one of sports highest paid athletes. The scenario looks much different now that Asafa Powell has withdrawn from the meet due to a tweaked groin. The question for Dix this week is how well-rested is he just twelve days after winning the 200-meters and running second in the 100-meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

By Jay Hicks.

Gays Runs Even Faster, Dix Emerges On the Scene!

It was utter pandemonium when the stadium clock displayed 9.68 after Tyson Gay crossed the line. Track Town, USA was completely rocking for the next thirty minutes. The wind-aided time (+4.1) is still the fastest time ever run.

People sitting at home may question how six people ran under 10-seconds in one race. Similar to European track stadiums, the fans in the newly renovated Hayward Field are close to the track, and the athletes feed off of their infectious energy.

Walter Dix shut up all of the naysayers and doubters of his talent. He is headed to Beijing, and the shoe companies had better start adding some big numbers to their contract offers.

It was great to see Darvis Patton dip under 10-seconds again and qualify for the team after fighting injuries for the last couple years.

Coach Jon Drummond was ecstatic in the athlete area after the race. His athlete Tyson Gay had done it!

Check out my full article on the race as published on TheFinalSprint.com

By Jay Hicks.