Bolt tops Powell at Jamaica trials

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-30  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

World record holder Usain Bolt (second left) looks over at Asafa Powell (right) as he wins the 100 meters final at the Jamaican trials for the Beijing Olympics in Kingston on Saturday. More in photo gallery

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WORLD record-holder Usain Bolt beat former record-holder Asafa Powell in the 100-meter final at Jamaica's Olympic trials in Kingston on Saturday, finishing in 9.85 seconds.

Powell was second in 9.97. Both qualified for August's Beijing Olympics.

Michael Frater secured the third berth on the Jamaican team with his run of 10.04 seconds.

Local fans had hoped for a close battle between their two heroes but Bolt let up in the final five meters with his victory secure.

"We are good friends and that's why I have been telling everyone that it won't be a clash here," Bolt said. "We just came to qualify for the Olympics, but in the end, I guess the crowd was a little disappointed with this."

Last month in New York, Bolt ran a 9.72 to break Powell's world record of 9.74.

"I just went out there to execute the first 50 and, in the end, I am very pleased with my performance," Powell said. "The aim was to make the team and, I did that, so I am OK. I'm just coming off an injury, so I did what I had to do."

Bolt will run in the 200 meters today (Shanghai time), his favored discipline, in which he claimed silver at last year's world championships.

It is hard to imagine Bolt not running in 100 in China but his coach Glen Mills again declined to reveal his plans.

"There is no decision yet and there won't be until August," Mills said.

But Powell's coach Stephen Francis said he was certainly expecting Bolt to be lining up in the shortest race.

"Why not? We assume he will be there," he said.

Kerron Stewart won the women's 100 in 10.80, the second-fastest time by a Jamaican woman ever. Shelly-Ann Fraster was second in 10.85, Sherone Simpson followed in 10.87 and world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown was fourth in 10.87.

In Eugene, Oregon, world champion Tyson Gay equalled the fourth fastest 100 meters of all time when he clocked an American record 9.77 seconds in the quarterfinals at the US Olympic trials on Saturday.