OSTRAVA, Czech Republic, CMC – World sprint star Usain Bolt remained unbeaten this season with a win here yesterday but was left lamenting his sluggish time after labouring to dismiss a below-par field at the 51st Ostrava Golden Spike.
The 25-year-old struggled out of the blocks to trail the field and was forced to produce a late-race acceleration in order to take the line first in an unfamiliar time of 10.04 seconds.
“I’m disappointed. At the start I felt pretty much no energy. I guess it was one of those bad days,” said the World record holder for the 100 and 200 metres.
“I wasn’t feeling as strong as I usually feel out of the blocks, my legs felt dead. I don’t know what the reason is. I’ll need to go back to the drawing board, talk to the coach.”
The time was the Jamaican’s slowest in 30 finals and was far removed from the scintillating 9.82 seconds he clocked before his home crowd at the JN Invitational in Kingston earlier this month.
Bolt is gearing up for the London Olympics starting in July where he will defend both sprint titles.
Meanwhile, veteran St Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins trailed home Bolt in second in 10.19 while American Davis Patton was third in 10.22.
In the women’s 200 metres, Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown provided the Caribbean with its only other triumph when she easily captured the half-lap in 22.38 seconds.
The reigning Olympic and World 200 metres champion came off the turn in front and never relinquished the lead as she topped the 22.50 she clocked at the Shanghai Diamond League last week.
Americans Bianca Knight (22.85) and Tiffany Townsend (23.18) were second and third respectively.
In the corresponding men’s event, Jamaican Marvin Anderson finished second in 20.41 seconds as American Wallace Spearmon crossed the line first in 20.14 seconds.
Bahamian Michael Mathieu was third in 20.45 seconds.
