Bolt goes sub-10 in season’s first 100m

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – Triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt sent yet another daunting message to his rivals ahead of the new season when he easily surged below 10 seconds in his first 100-metre outing of the year on Saturday.

Competing at the GC Foster College Classic, the Jamaican sprint sensation had an assisting wind of 2.3 metres per second as he clocked 9.93 seconds to finish first ahead of his Antiguan training partner and long-time rival Daniel Bailey, who was also very impressive and finished alongside the undisputed World No.1.

Jamaican Yohan Blake ran third in 10.08 seconds in the time final to be a footnote in the event which centred around the world’s fastest man.

“It was a good run. I still have to work a little bit more on my race,” said the 22-year old, who was running his first sprint since last September and is yet to begin any speed-work in his training for the 2009 season.
Bailey, who was runner-up to gold medallist Bolt over 200 metres twice — at the 2003 and 2004 CARIFTA Games – during their junior days, also clocked at 9.93 seconds in a superb run.

Blake, a three-time IAAF World Junior Championship medallist, recorded a personal best 10.08 in a tailwind of 1.5 metres per second, for victory in second of two 100-metre sections, and was third overall in the time-final 100m event.
Bolt was the story of the Beijing Olympics last August, spectacularly breaking the 100 and 200 metre world records en route to winning both events by stunningly wide margins.

In Beijing, he clocked 9.69 seconds for the 100 metres and 19.30 in the 200 before returning to claim his third gold medal by running the penultimate leg of the men’s sprint relay as Jamaica stopped the clock in a world record 37.10 seconds.