Jamaican Usain Bolt returns home today
Published:Monday | September 14, 2009 | 8:44 AM
The world’s fastest man Jamaican Usain Bolt is heading home today after he capped a remarkable year by storming to victory in the 200 metres at the World Athletics Final last night in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The 23-year-old 100 and 200 metres world and Olympic champion won the event in 19.68 seconds to equal the meet record.
The time was 0.49 seconds slower than his world record he set at the World Championship in Berlin last month.
American Wallace Spearmon was second in 20.21 and Brendan Christian of Antigua third in 20.65.
Bolt will now take six week off.
Jamaican Melaine Walker also posted a meet record in landing the women’s 400 metre hurdles in 53.36.
Walker, like Bolt a reigning world and Olympic champion, was unchallenged in her one-lap hurdles win, coming home ahead of her Jamaican team-mate Kaliese Spencer, 53.99.
All winner of the two-day meet picked up a purse of US$30,000.
Meanwhile, world and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, 10.89, had to settle for second in the women’s 100 metres while her Jamaican team-mate Kerron Stewart was third in 10.90.
The third Jamaican in the line-up, Sherone Simpson was fifth in 11.20.
American Carmelita Jeter won the event in a stunning career-best and meet record 10.67. Only world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner, 10.49 and Marion Jones 10.69 have gone faster.