Bolt fires another Olympic warning

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-15  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line of the 200 meters race in 19.67 seconds at the Athens Grand Prix in Athens on Sunday. More in photo gallery

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JAMAICA'S Usain Bolt laid down another marker for the Beijing Olympics when he ran the fastest 200 meters of the year so far at the Athens Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 21-year-old, who broke the 100 meters world record at the end of May, clocked 19.67 seconds, cruising home to a comfortable victory.

It was a personal best for Bolt and the fifth fastest time ever over the distance.

However, he again played down suggestions that he would soon break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record of 19.32.

"It is a very hard record to get but someone will take it one day and hopefully I will be that person - maybe next year," he said.

Cuba's Dayron Robles also sent out a warning for the Olympics, clocking 13.05 in the 110-meter hurdles. It was well off his world record 12.87, set last month, but still the third-fastest time of the year so far.

"I felt really good. I am working day after day to fulfil my personal objective for the Olympics.

"I don't want to think too far ahead yet. I honestly believe it is a question of getting to the (Olympic) final because it is, of course, a desire and dream of every athlete to get an Olympic medal."

Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas took the 100 meters for the second year running, clocking 10.10, while Louis van Zyl produced a stirring finish to plough past the Americans Danny MacFarlane and Reuben McCoy to take the 400 hurdles.

Season's best

The South African's winning time of 48.22 was shy of American Kerron Clement's 47.79, the best so far this year, but there was a season's best in the high jump where Sweden's Stefan Holm cleared 2.37 meters.

The 2007 triple jump world champion Nelson Evora produced a leap of 17.23 to see off Olympic silver medalist four years ago Marian Oprea and the Cuban Arnie David Girat, while Louis Tsatoumas gave the home crowd something to cheer when he leapt 8.44 meters, the third best long jump of the year.