 Bolt impressed despite terrible conditions in Lausanne |
Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt ran the fourth-fastest 200m time in history as he stormed to victory in appalling conditions at the Lausanne Grand Prix. Bolt ran 19.59 seconds despite a strong headwind and heavy rain in Switzerland. Olympic 400m champion Lashawn Merritt was second with Shawn Crawford fourth, while Asafa Powell won the 100m. Asked if he would have broken the world record in better weather Bolt said: "I don't even think of it in those terms, I was just trying to test myself." The 22-year-old Jamaican admitted that there was still room for improvement ahead of next month's world championships, but was otherwise pleased with his form. "I'm in good shape, but I'm not fully ready yet. I still need to work on a few technical things," said the 100m and 200m world record holder. Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser continued Jamaica's domination in the sprints as they won the men's and women's 100m respectively. Powell finished comfortably ahead of compatriot Steve Mullings in a time of 10.07 seconds, with American Mike Rodgers third. Fraser won the women's 100m in 11.03, ahead of American Carmelita Jeter.  | 606: DEBATE |
BBC Radio 5 Live's athletic's correspondent Mike Costello said Bolt's stunning performance showed that "any Beijing hangover is beginning to dissolve". "The sport's greatest attraction showed that he is now back to his best," added Costello. "The time was one-hundredth of a second slower than American Tyson Gay ran in New York five weeks ago. "But whereas Gay had the conditions very much in his favour, Bolt ran in driving rain and a strong headwind. "Bolt versus Gay at the world championships in Berlin next month will be contests to savour." Costello added that Powell's display in the 100m meant he "could frighten even Bolt and Gay" in Germany. Cuban Dayron Robles, the Olympic 110m hurdles gold medallist, continued his unbeaten summer, winning in a time of 13.18. Nottingham's European number one Andy Turner finished fifth, posting a mark of 13.55 in his last race before this weekend's Aviva World trials in Birmingham. Britain's Chris Tomlinson was fourth in the long jump with a distance of 7.92m. South Africa's Godfrey Mokoena won the event with a jump of 8.05m. Fellow Brit Germaine Mason was sixth in the high jump, which was won by Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic in 2.26m.
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