Source: China Daily

08-17-2008 09:59

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympic Games

He slowed up, stretched his arms out wide and put his palms out, then slapped his chest. He was still running.

It's not every day you see an Olympic sprinter saunter to victory, much less look around to check how his rivals are doing, before crossing the finish line. But then, it's not every day you see Usain Bolt coast into history by clocking 9.69 seconds in the 100m sprint final.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica (C) celebrates winning the men's 100m final  of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the  Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 16, 2008.

In doing so, the Jamaican sprinter Saturday broke his own record of 9.72 seconds that he set on May 31 in New York - less than a year after taking up the dash.

What was billed as a showdown thus ended in a walkover. Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver with 9.89, and Walter Dix of the United States was third with 9.91.

The 21-year-old Bolt's performance left no doubt whatsoever about who deserves the title of "World's Fastest Man".

Usain Bolt of Jamaica points at his race time after winning the  men's 100m final of the athletics competition in the National  Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 16, 2008. Bolt  won 100 metres gold at the Beijing Olympics in a world record  time on Saturday, running 9.69 seconds to claim victory in an  exhilarating showdown with his compatriot Asafa Powell.

Former world record-holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica came fifth, while world champion Tyson Gay of the US failed to qualify for the final.

On water, Michael Phelps moved equally confidently to secure his place in history by winning a record-equaling seventh gold medal.

Phelps edged Milorad Cavic of Serbia by a hundredth of a second in the 100m butterfly. Now he has just one more event left to beat Mark Spitz and stand alone with eight golds in a single Games. "I was shocked at the end," Phelps said after winning the 100m butterfly in 50.58 seconds. "I'm happy and at a loss for words."

The time compares to Cavic's 50.59, the finest margin possible in the pool. It was close enough for Serbian officials to protest, but swimming's governing body FINA confirmed the result on appeal.

Spitz said in a telephone interview from Detroit: "It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet."

Rebecca Adlington of Britain won the 800 freestyle, breaking Janet Evans' 19-year-old world record.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the men's 100m final of  the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing  2008 Olympic Games August 16, 2008. Bolt won 100 metres gold at  the Beijing Olympics in a world record time on Saturday, running  9.69 seconds to claim victory in an exhilarating showdown with  his compatriot Asafa Powell.

Adlington finished in 8:14.10, bettering the oldest record in swimming of 8:16.22 and adding to her 400 freestyle gold.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe defended her Olympic title in the 200m backstroke, winning in a world-record time of 2:05.24 and lowering the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the US trials last month.

Cesar Cielo sprinted to gold in the men's 50 freestyle, defeating a field of heavyweight contenders with an Olympic record of 21.30 seconds.

The host nation's gold medal charge halted Saturday, with only one badminton gold won.

Zhang Ning, 33, successfully retained her Olympic crown after beating compatriot Xie Xingfang in a three-set thriller in the women's singles final.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt (R) wins the men's 100m final at the  National Stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on  August 16, 2008.

But China lost its chance for a gold sweep in badminton when mixed doubles pair Yu Yang and He Hanbin faltered at the hands of top seeds from Indonesia Nova Widianto and Liliyana. The Chinese pair lost 21-15, 11-21 and 21-23.

Second seeds Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng failed to realize a 16-year dream of winning the men's doubles gold at the Games, losing to top seeds Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia 21-12, 11-21, 16-21 last night.

China's No 1 women's tennis player Li Na lost to Russia's No 6 seed Dinara Safina in the semifinal. However, reaching the final four still made history for China's tennis as Li was the first Chinese to reach the Olympic singles semifinals.

The loss made today's women's singles final an all-Russian affair as Elena Dementieva thrashed teammate Vera Zvonareva.

On basketball court, Yao Ming scored 25 points to lead China to a dramatic 59-55 win over Germany last night, keeping China's hopes alive in the men's basketball competition.

Wrestler stripped of bronze

Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian was disqualified and stripped of his bronze medal Saturday for dropping the prize in protest after a disputed loss.

He was punished by the International Olympic Committee for violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony.

Abrahamian got incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win the gold in the Greco-Roman 84-kg division on Thursday.

During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian took the bronze from around his neck and angrily dropped it on the mat as he walked away. He did not take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica (C) crosses the finish line ahead of  Richard Thompson (L) of Trinidad and Tobago and Doc Patton of  the US (R) to win the men's 100m final in the athletics  competition at the National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing  Olympic Games on August 16, 2008. Bolt won with a world record  time of 9.69sec.

The shoe of Usain Bolt of Jamaica is seen  untied after winning the men's 100m final  of the athletics competition in the  National Stadium at the Beijing 2008  Olympic Games August 16, 2008. Bolt won  100 metres gold at the Beijing Olympics  in a world record time on Saturday,  running 9.69 seconds to claim victory in  an exhilarating showdown with his  compatriot Asafa Powell.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the men's 100m final of  the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing  2008 Olympic Games August 16, 2008. Bolt won 100 metres gold at  the Beijing Olympics in a world record time on Saturday, running  9.69 seconds to claim victory in an exhilarating showdown with  his compatriot Asafa Powell.

 

Editor:Wang Shuqin