Bolt Sizzles In Lousanne Despite Rain

Jamaican world record holder records his second fastest time ever in 200m.

Rain looked to be the headline from Athletissima 2009 in Lousanne, Switzerland, however Jamaican sprinting sensation Usain Bolt changed that, running a winning time of 19.59 in the 200m.  The race was delayed in hopes of clearing skies, but no such luck fell upon the home of the International Olympic Committee. Bolt proved that he didn’t need good conditions to break his own meet record, torch the top international field by .80 seconds and in the process run his second fastest 200m of all time.  What this meet proved to the world is that there is a clear number one man in track and field, and Usain Bolt is that man…for a very long time to come.

In other action Bolt’s Jamaican teammates Asafa Powell and Shelly Ann Fraser swept the 100m dashes in convincing fashion, cementing the Jamaicans at the top of the sprinting world going in to Berlin.  Cuban world record holder Dayron Robles came back to the site of his only defeat in 2008, to take the title in the men’s 110m hurdles in a rain soaked 13.18.

Gelete Burka of Ethiopia ran a near perfect race to outdistance former Ethiopian Maryam Jamal, now of Bahrain, in the women’s 1500m.  Burka and Jamal came in to the final 150m near deadlocked but Burka was able to power on to the finish ahead of Jamal, 4:00.67 to 4:01.99.  The men’s 3000m also proved to be a fight to the line as 1500m indoor world champion Deresse Mekonnen (7:37.62 PB) of Ethiopia was able to hold off Kenyan 5000m specialist Eliud Kipchoge (7:37.95), fixing Mekonnen as the top contender for Berlin in the 1500m against world leader Augustine Choge of Kenya.

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