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Related: About this forumUsain Bolt upset in Jamaican 100 meter finals
http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-06-29/london-olympics-2012-usain-bolt-upset-in-jamaican-100-meter-finalThe Fastest Man in the World wasn't the fastest man in Jamaica on Friday night.
That honor goes to Yohan Blake, the man they call "The Beast," who blew away Usain Bolt out of the starting blocks and finished the 100-meter final in 9.75 seconds to upset the world-record holder by 0.11 seconds in the Jamaican Olympic trials.
A shocker? Well, that's for the world to decide. One thing for sure, however, is that the calculus for the London Olympics has changed dramatically.
"Nine-point-seven-five, it's awesome," Blake said. "I won the world championship, so I've got that. Now, I'm the national champion for Jamaica, so I've got that. And now, I go into the Olympics like this."
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)However, I still would bet on Bolt...if I were a betting man.
twogunsid
(1,611 posts)Bolt is really a 200m guy and the 100 is just a hobby. Still, I wouldn't bet against Bolt.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)focused after this loss and will want to even the score at the Olympics...still, it could be Blake's time now.
twogunsid
(1,611 posts)I'm looking forward to it.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)And with good reason.
chelsea0011
(10,115 posts)Here's hoping they all survive this foolish false start rule.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Jamaican runner Yohan Blake shocked the track world on Friday when he beat world record holder Usain Bolt in the 100m dash at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. On Saturday, Bolt said movement by runners next to him made him get a bad start.
The Jamaica Observer reports Bolt said his fellow racers flinched in both the finals and the semifinals:
Bolt said in the finals he saw Nesta Carter beside him flinch, "I lost focus and when the gun went I was not focussed," and in the semi-finals "the guy next to me moved and it threw me off; I see these guys in my peripheral vision and it is kinda hard to ignore them so when they move its gonna throw me off a little bit and I got left and when I get left it is hard."
No false start was called, but track and field officials may be hesitant to call a false start because of the IAAF's one-and-done rule. The current rule disqualifies a runner after just one false start. Bolt was disqualified in the semifinals of the 2011 world championships. Though he's the world's fastest man, he's not the world champion.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/usain-bolt-says-movement-blocks-distracted-him-ill-224827251--oly.html
twogunsid
(1,611 posts)Jamaica's Usain Bolt is undeniably an incredible athlete. The fastest man in the world, he set the world records for the fastest speeds ever recorded in both the 100 meter and 200 meter sprints in 2009. Those records still stand today, but Bolt, who also holds three Olympic records set in Beijing in 2008, is now set to return to the Olympics as the underdog in the 100 meter event.
Bolt's countryman and rival, Yohan Blake beat Bolt to the finish line in the 100 meter final at the Jamaican trials on Saturday. He also beat Bolt's time in the 200 meter semifinal later in the day....
I know he can't do it, but it would be incredible to see Usain Bolt perform in blinkers in London. Blinkers, for those who are not fans of horse racing, are the head gear worn by some horses to help them keep their focus on the race ahead of them and tune out distractions. Young horses seldom wear blinkers at the start of their racing career. It is only when they begin to show signs of losing their focus that the apparatus is utilized....
Short of unleashing a ferocious beast behind Usain Bolt, few things are going to help propel him any faster down the track than he has gone before. In London, he will not only face Blake, but also Asafa Powell and American, Tyson Gay, all of whom have finished the 100 meter event with faster times than Bolt posted Saturday. It's a shame that officials wouldn't likely let him give blinkers a try. They might be just the thing to keep him focused and on edge long enough to stun the world once more.