By BRIAN LEWIS
June 1, 2008
Usain Bolt picked up speed like a boulder rolling downhill - or a man destined to make history. And when he broke the tape and saw his time - his world-record 9.72-second 100-meter time - he kept right on running, an impromptu victory lap all the way around a raucous Icahn Stadium.
As Bob Marley's Jammin' blared over the P.A. and the Jamaicans among the Reebok Grand Prix sellout crowd of 6,490 celebrated with their countryman, the 21-year-old known as Lightning Bolt stamped himself the World's Fastest Man. Ever.
"I was pretty confident coming in and it was there for the taking," Bolt said. "I knew if I got Tyson out of the blocks I had a good chance of winning. I got him and did what my coach said, concentrate on my drive phase, transition from there, and took it over."
In a worthy Beijing preview boasting two dozen Olympic or world champs, he was the unquestioned highlight. He avoided his usual slow start, unfurling his 6-foot-5 strides and using his trademark kick to beat Tyson Gay. The triple world champ gave him a congratulatory hug and the starter gave him the "bullet that fired you into history."
"It was a good experience, because it'll keep me hungry. He ran a world-record and an almost perfect race. My hat's off to him. He's on fire right now," said Gay, reigning world champ at 100, 200 and 4x100.
"He got out better than I thought. I thought I'd be in more contact. I didn't know his strides would be so big. He (got ahead) and after that it was over with. I knew this track was fast, I knew a 9.7 was possible. I didn't know who it would be, me or him or somebody else. It was his day."
Sanya Richards, the fiancé of Giants DB Aaron Ross, ran - with her man in the stands - and won in a meet-record 50.53, saying "I'm going to try to bring home three gold medals: The 4x100 4x400 and the open 400."
After winning she took the mic and sent a shout-out to her Super Bowl-winning beau, saying "(That's) my honey, Aaron Ross. He's part of the New York Giants, and he's here tonight with bunch of his friends. Thanks for coming; much love and respect."
Olympic 110 hurdles champ Liu Xiang apologized in Chinese and English (through an interpreter) for scratching with a hamstring pull, Terrence Trammell winning in 13.11. Kerron Clement took the 400 hurdles in 48.40, and Lashina Demus showed she hasn't lost a step since giving birth to twins last summer, winning in a meet-record 55.17.
"It's been a long road. I'm finally getting back where I want to be," Demus said. "I feel strong mentally because of what I came from, what I am now. "Among the meet records were Yusuf Kamel in the 800 (1:45.53), Becky Breisch in the women's discus (209-0), former LSU grid star Xavier Carter in the 400 (44.70), and Kenyan Paul Koech in the 3,000 steeplechase (8:01.85), the fastest ever run outside of Europe.
Veronica Campbell-Brown won a deep women's 100 in a world-leading 10.91, while Wallace Spearmon took the 200 in 20.07, pointing at the clock and mugging for the camera just before he broke the tape.
"I thought I was passed the line, but I wasn't," Spearmon said. "I thought it was the world's fastest time this year, but it wasn't. I was just having fun."
