Golden Bolt Breaks 200 Record

Jamaican sprinter first since Carl Lewis to win 100 and 200 meters
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 20, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
Golden Bolt Breaks 200 Record
Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win the gold in the men's 200-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Aug. 20, 2008.    (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica raced to a gold medal and a world record of 19.30 seconds today in the 200 meters, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics—and the first to ever break world records in both. Not even Lewis or Jesse Owens managed that.

Showing what he can do when he runs at full speed all the way through the finish—something he hadn't done yet in Beijing—Bolt eclipsed the old record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson in Atlanta in 1996. On Saturday, he bettered his own 100-meter record by winning in 9.69 seconds—despite slowing down over the final 20 meters to showboat. (More 2008 Beijing Olympics stories.)

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