Another record for awesome Bolt

USAIN BOLT created yet another piece of athletics history last night with a sensational victory in the 200 metres at the World Championships in Berlin.

After winning the 100m with a new world record of 9.58 seconds on Sunday, Bolt completed the sprint double by smashing his own world record in the 200m for good measure.

Bolt stormed to victory in the Olympic Stadium in 19.19 seconds, slashing 0.11secs off the time set in Beijing last year, with Panama’s Alonso Edward claiming silver in 19.81 and American Wallace Spearmon the bronze in 19.85.

Bolt, 23 today, becomes the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time following his triumph in last year’s Olympics.

“I can definitely say I didn’t expect that because I was a little bit tired,” said Bolt, who felt a 200m record was not on the cards after missing a month’s training this season following a car crash in April.

“I said let’s try because people are really looking out for this, I said it won’t hurt to try. So I tried really hard and now I’m really tired. Maybe next time I should just run the 200m or the 100m alone.”

Bolt was in determined mood once the race got under way at the second attempt, powering round the bend and gritting his teeth in determination until crossing the line and seeing the time on the electronic display.

Asked if it was harder than his equally amazing double in Beijing, Bolt added: “Not mentally, physically it was harder because I wasn’t in the best of shape. The rounds took a lot out of me this time. I just want to go home and sleep.

“It definitely means a lot because I showed people that last year wasn’t a joke.”

Meanwhile, not for the first time, Alistair Cragg, was left looking for reasons after he bombed out of the first round heats of men’s 5,000m. A furiously fast first heat won by Kenenisa Bekele had produced the five fastest losers before the second heat got under way at all so Cragg knew a place in the top five was his only ticket to Sunday’s final.

It appeared for 4,000 metres that he was on target as he covered the moves and protected his position in the top 10. But then a 2:37.49 kilometre driven along by Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (Uganda) and then Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) drove him out the back and he quickly lost contact with the lead group now powering away from 50 metres ahead. Kipsiro won the heat in a comfortable 13:22.98 with Kipchoge second in 13:23.34 and defending champion Bernard Lagat (USA) fourth in 13:23.73 – times that should have been well within Cragg’s reach.

But the Irishman would later trail in 13th in 13:46.34 with his world championship dream in tatters once again.

“I had planned to move up to third or fourth,” Cragg said. “So I followed Bernard (Lagat) around and settled in seventh place. I had done everything right up to that point. Then I drifted back and there was a gap. You don’t see it happening and you are wondering did you just fade or whatever.

“I was feeling great. I just fell asleep for a lap. I just felt like crap when I was off the back. I am just disappointed for the coach because I am in good shape. I know it was a slow pace.

“I started to get a little nervous. I wanted to be in front and take it but I did some calculations on what I needed to run – maybe five mins flat for the last 2k – I was going to take it but then the move happened and that was it.”