There can be no denying that Jamaican Usain Bolt is the world's fastest man.
Four days after winning the gold medal in the 100 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing, Bolt completed the sprint double by taking the 200 meters on Thursday. His victories took place on the track where in 2008 he first made headlines by winning Olympic gold medals in record fashion at the Bird's Nest Stadium.
Just like Sunday in the 100, Bolt outran American rival Justin Gatlin to claim his fourth consecutive world 200 meters title. Including relay races, he now owns a record 10 gold medals at world championships.
Bolt's time Thursday was a world-leading 19.55 seconds, nearly two-tenths of a second faster than Gatlin, who clocked 19.87 seconds.
South African Anaso Jobodwana captured the bronze medal with a national record of 19.87 seconds. Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, had finished just one-100th of a second behind Bolt in Sunday's 100 meters.
Amazing run
Remarkably, Bolt has now won 11 of the last 12 individual Olympic and world sprint titles dating back to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Only a false start disqualifying him in the 100 meters at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea, likely kept him from having all 12 golds.
"My four world championships gold medals in the 200 meters, this is a big deal, a great accomplishment," said Bolt.
The 29-year-old Bolt owns the world record in both the 100 and 200 meters, but he has had had pelvic problems this season, and he said he did not consider an attempt to break his mark of 19.19 seconds, set in 2009.
"I knew I wasn't in the shape for a world record. But when it comes to the 200 meters, I am a different person. I was beaten there only once," he said.
The celebration after the race did not go so well. After Bolt had taken off his shoes, he was knocked over by a cameraman shooting on a two-wheeled electric Segway vehicle. The Segway hit a metal rail next to the track and it surged from under the cameraman into Bolt's heels, making him fall backwards.
Bolt briefly grabbed his left leg and limped away before continuing his victory lap.
Gatlin, who is 33, said his age had showed in the race.
"I feel tired. Going through three 100s and three 200s [the heats] is taxing on the body," he said.
"I'm the oldest person in the field and am still running and running pretty well. To be able to run 19.74 seconds is a really good showing. I gave it all I could give," added Gatlin.
In the race preceding the men's 200, American runner Allyson Felix briefly tied Bolt's record of nine world championship gold medals by winning the women's 400 meters, clocking a personal best 49.26 seconds. She now holds the U.S. record she previously shared with Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson, who each have eight world gold medals.
Thursday, the Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller (49.67) took the silver medal behind Felix, and Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson won the bronze (49.99).
