Bolt lights up Zurich's sky

2008-08-29 22:02

Zurich - Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt continued his unstoppable streak with a comprehensive win in the 100m at the Zurich Golden League meeting here on Friday.

In a packed 26 000-capacity Letzigrund Stadium, Pamela Jelimo of Kenya also went close to beating the oldest track and field world record in the books in the women's 800m.

Bolt, who set an unprecedented three world records en route to Olympic 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay golds, beat a field that included six of the Olympic finalists plus 200m silver medallist Shawn Crawford.

The 22-year-old timed 9.83s, the 14th fastest time ever, and a time bested by only three other sprinters - the now-retired Maurice Greene, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay.

Jelimo broke her own record

Bolt said: "It was good: a nice track and a great crowd.

"My start was not too good. I concentrated on winning, and as I'm starting to get a cold, I was not able to think about any faster a time.

"My coach told me that I should make sure to end the season healthy."

Double Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix of the US came second in 9.99s, with Trinidad and Tobago's silver medallist from Beijing, Richard Thompson, third in 10.09s.

Olympic 800m champion Jelimo broke her own world junior record when she ran the third fastest time ever in the event.

Led magnificently through 600m by Russian pacemaker Svetlana Klyuka, who was fourth in the Olympic final, Jelimo clocked 1:54.01.

Only Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova (1:53.28) and Russian Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43) have run faster.

Jelimo's victory means she remains in contention for the one-million-dollar Golden League Jackpot, with the series' final meeting coming in Brussels next week.

It was a mixed night for the 10 other Olympic champions on show.

Ramzi beaten into second place

Cuban 110m hurdler Dayron Robles beat American archrival David Oliver by one-hundredth of a second in 12.97s for his third Golden League win of the season.

Norwegian javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen dominated the field with a best of 90.28m to follow up on his Olympic success.

And Angelo Taylor saw off Kerron Clement in a re-run of the men's 400m hurdles in Beijing, the double Olympic champion winning in 48.07s.

But Bahrain's Olympic 1 500m champion Rashid Ramzi was beaten into second place, Belgian high jumper Tia Hellebaut crashed out at a miserly 1.85m, and LaShawn Merritt was beaten into second in the men's 400m by American compatriot Jeremy Wariner.

- AFP