BERLIN - Usain Bolt produced one of the greatest moments in world sport when he lowered the 100 metres world record to an astonishing 9.58 seconds for the world title Sunday night.
Bolt, 22, took 0.11 seconds off his previous mark of 9.69 seconds from exactly 12 months ago in the Olympic final in Beijing, the biggest world record improvement in the history of the race.
He did so in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium where American Jesse Owens had become the first big athletics hero with four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics - with 50,000 in the stadium and millions more around the world watching in awe.
American rival Tyson Gay took silver 9.71 seconds to become the second fastest man over the distance. Jamaican Asafa Powell took the bronze in 9.84 seconds in the fastest race ever.
“I was definitely ready for the world record and I did it. I am proud of myself. This is a big moment in history,” said Bolt, who turns 23 next week.
“I did not think I could run 0.1 seconds faster than my own world record. But for me, anything is possible.”
Gay readily admitted that Bolt “ran the greatest race I have ever seen” and world governing athletics body president Lamine Diack spoke of “a new era” in the sport.
Bolt was swiftly named on par with sports legends like golfer Tiger Woods, tennis player Rod Laver and others, but said he doesn’t consider himself a legend yet.
“It is getting there. But two seasons isn’t enough,” said Bolt, who won the three Olympic golds in world record time and will also run the 200m and 4×100m in Berlin.
In other action, Jessica Ennis led from start to finish to give Britain its first ever heptathlon world title in a stunning return from foot stress fractures which kept her out of the Olympics.
Olympic champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia won a second 20km walk world title and New Zealand’s Valerie Vili achieved the same feat in the women’s shot put.
But Bolt towered over everyone, coming out of the blocks slowly but caught up with his rivals quickly and never looked back. Unlike in Beijing, he didn’t ease up and crossed the line to set a stunning new mark.
Gay did not disappoint in his first meeting with Bolt this year as he took sixth hundredth of his personal best despite a groin scare. The former world record holder Powell failed again to get a big event gold.
Bolt said that Gay and Powell will push him over the next years, but also sent a clear warning that he isn’t finished yet either.
“I am in pretty good shape, but not Beijing shape … I had a good start and took it from there. I knew it would be hard to pass me at 50m,” he said.
Gay said: “I am really happy. I put together the best I could … I said that you can run 9.5 and I have a lot left.
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