Yohan Blake (right) and Usain Bolt, both from Jamaica, look at the scoreboard during the Van Damme Memorial Diamond League meeting at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels on Friday. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / Associated Press

Jamaican sprint stars turn on a grand show at Van Damme meet

BRUSSELS - Usain Bolt held his hand in front of his mouth in amazement. This time though, it wasn't his own performance that dumbfounded him. Over his shoulder, young training pal Yohan Blake could hardly believe what he saw either.

Minutes after Bolt ran the season's fastest time in the 100 meters at the Van Damme Memorial on Friday, Blake came through with the second fastest 200m in history and served notice that he will likely be Bolt's toughest challenger for sprinting supremacy at the London Olympics.

The 21-year old Blake took Bolt's advice and ran a contained curve before blasting for the line in 19.26 sec, just .07 seconds off Bolt's world record.

"I think all the tutoring just stopped," Bolt said.

Blake first emerged from the oversize shadow of Bolt less than three weeks ago, when he won the 100m world title after the defending champion stunningly false started in the final and gave away a title that was seemingly his.

What seemed like a flukey title then no longer seems so after Blake powered down the stretch with Bolt-like speed to set the spectacular time. Bolt's world record was set in Berlin two years ago and, in comparison, Bolt ran 19.40 at the World Championships in Daegu for the title. Blake didn't run in the event.

From lane 7, Blake had the worst start of the nine runners, bided his time on the curve, but was unstoppable afterward, dipping at the line for a time that everyone thought was only within Bolt's limits.

"I knew I could do something crazy," Blake said. "19.2? I was a bit surprised." He sank to his knees after the race and spread his arms wide open, the same as he did in Daegu when he won the 100.

With 19.26, he improved his personal best by a massive .52 seconds. His sluggish start, with a 0.269 second reaction time, might have cost him the world record.

Amid all the amazement at Blake's time, Walter Dix of the United States became the fourth-best performer in history by finishing second in 19.53.

Bolt could only watch his teammate in admiration - and surprise.

"It was a good run. It was a big surprise for me," he said.

By that time, Bolt had done his part. From lane 5, his start was better than his preceding races, but he still needed to fight hard to get level with compatriot Nesta Carter. From then on, he surged ahead and did what he promised to do - get the fastest time of the season.

Bolt came from behind to finish in 9.76 seconds to improve on the mark of fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell by .02.

"I came here to do it," Bolt said. "I am happy. I got a win and that was needed."

Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele set the fastest time of the year in the 10,000m, less than three weeks after stepping out of the World Championships final.

He avenged the first defeat of his career in the 10,000 by coming back with a time of 26 min, 43.16 sec, beating the year's best mark set by Mo Farah by 3.41 seconds.

After he withdrew from the championships in Daegu, Bekele returned to Ethiopia to train, and, cheered by 40,000 fans at the King Baudouin stadium, took the lead from Kenyan Lucas Rotich with a lap to go to restore his winning ways.

In the women's 100, Carmelita Jeter of the United States confirmed her domination from Daegu. Even though Veronica Campbell-Brown had a fast start, the world champion came back and nipped her at the line to finish in 10.78 sec, .07 seconds ahead of her Jamaican rival.

In the high jump, Anna Chicherova of Russia continued her domination over Croatian rival Blanka Vlasic. The world champion was in a league of her own at 2.05m and even had a narrow miss over the world record height of 2.10.

Sally Pearson of Australia saw a perfect season come to a halt in the last Diamond League when she crashed halfway through the 100 hurdles, letting Danielle Carruthers of the US speed ahead in 12.65.

Associated Press

(China Daily 09/18/2011 page7)