Another Bolt Of Lightning

Sun Herald

Sunday August 31, 2008

By LUKE PHILLIPS

USAIN BOLT continued his unstoppable streak of form with a comprehensive win in the 100 metres at the Zurich Golden League meeting here today, while Pamela Jelimo of Kenya went close to beating the oldest world record in the books.

The Jamaican treble Olympic sprint gold medallist beat a field that included six of the Beijing Olympic finalists plus 200m silver medallist Shawn Crawford. The 22-year-old timed 9.83sec, the 14th fastest time ever, and a time beaten only by three other sprinters - Maurice Greene, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay.

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

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

Led magnificently through 600 metres 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, back in 1983 and 1980 respectively.

Jelimo's victory means she remains in contention for the million dollar Golden League Jackpot.

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

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

But Bahrain's Olympic 1500m champion Rashid Ramzi was beaten into second in the 1500m, and Belgian high jumper Tia Hellebaut crashed out at 1.85m.

Two Kenyans who failed to qualify for the Beijing Games also shone on the track in the men's 1500m and 3000m steeplechase.

Ramzi left his trademark sprint finish too late as Kenya's African champion Haron Keitany came home in 3:32.06, 0.80sec ahead of the Moroccan-born runner.

Olympic bronze medallist Sanya Richards of the United States won the women's 400m in an overdue season's best of 49.74sec.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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