Record-breaker Bolt: I’ve proved I’m a true champion

USAIN BOLT was overwhelmed after becoming the first man to win the Olympic sprint double for 24 years with his second amazing world record in five days in Beijing.

Bolt, who casually shaved 0.03 seconds off his own record in winning the 100 metres title in sensational style on Saturday, clocked 19.30secs to break Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old record of 19.32secs.

Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon were initially credited with silver and bronze, only to both be disqualified for running outside their lanes. That gifted American Shawn Crawford the silver medal with team-mate Walter Dix claiming bronze.

There was thankfully no doubt about the winner, Bolt becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in Los Angeles to win the 100 and 200m titles.

The 21-year-old, who turns 22 today, made a brilliant start and was already well clear of the field coming into the home straight.

But unlike the 100m final, where he began celebrating well before the line, this time he sprinted through the tape to initially stop the clock at 19.31s, a time that was swiftly rounded down.

“This is more than I can handle really, I’m a bit overwhelmed,” Bolt said. “I didn’t think a 200m record was on because I felt tired after the heats. But I told everyone I was going to come out here and leave everything on the track and I did just that.

“I’ve proved I’m a true champion and that you can do anything you want with hard work. It’s great. I have a great feeling. This is a dream come true. You come out here every day as an athlete to be a champion and this is just more than I can handle.”

American great Michael Johnson hailed Bolt’s “incredible” achievement as the Jamaican inherited his 200metres world record.

“He got an incredible start,” said Johnson. “I looked at Colin Jackson and I said, ‘Wow!’. “It was much more of an amazing start than he got in the 100m and his turn was just absolutely fabulous.

“He wanted that record. This is his favourite event.

“He went for it. He came in here focused on it, knowing most likely he’d win the gold.

“The reason I felt he might not get it here was he wouldn’t have been working on speed endurance, the ability to hold that speed for the entire race. But he showed that he had been working on that, and was able to bring home 19.30.

“Incredible time, incredible performance by Usain Bolt once again.”