Usain Bolt captured the imagination of millions with his stirring performance in the 2008 Beijing Games. The sprinter from Jamaica scored an individual sprint double by sweeping the men’s 100m and 200m, and was part of the Jamaican team that won the 4x100 relay.
Bolt shattered the world and Olympic records in his two individual events to lay claim to the prestigious title of world’s fastest man. In the 100m, Bolt blazed home in 9.69 seconds, a very impressive time which could have been lower if he hadn’t slowed down slightly before reaching the finish line to celebrate. Later, scientific analysis estimated that Bolt could have clocked as fast as 9.52 if he had maintained his speed until the end.
In the men’s 200m finals, Bolt set his sights on Michael Johnson’s Olympic and world mark of 19.32 seconds, which was considered one of the most difficult track and field records to beat. But Bolt shattered it by .02 seconds, becoming a rare double gold medalist and world record holder in both the 100m and 200m. Incredibly, Bolt would break both of his records a year later in the World Championships, clocking 9.59 in the 100m and 19.19 in the 200m.
In the coming London Games, the Jamaican superstar is aiming to become the first sprinter to successfully defend the 100m and 200m titles.
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