Chat-bout.net - Bolt runs year's best time in 200m

Bolt runs year's best time in 200m

Usain Bolt shrugged off torrential rain here last night to win with a world leading time in the 200m and show his doubters he is getting back to his best. "I was never out of business," said the triple world record holder with a grin after running 19.86sec. "I think business was just slow."

In his first 200m race in 13 months Bolt crossed the line several metres ahead of the rest of the field, licking his lips and grinning with relief. With the rain pouring down, and Bob Marley blaring over the loudspeakers, Bolt delivered his verdict. "I'm happy I'm back to being Usain Bolt – it's not perfect but I'm getting there," said the 24-year-old.

Bolt has been under intense scrutiny following his first two races of the season – both over 100m – where, despite victories, his efforts ranked him fourth in this season's world rankings. But having nailed down an impressive time in Oslo, Bolt responded to his doubters. "I think people expect too much from me sometimes," he said. "I'm only human but I'm working my way up and I'm getting there."

Pushing all the way, Bolt's victory never looked in doubt, but he was never likely to be threatened by a field in which only one other athlete had ever run under 20 seconds – Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure – and that was almost four years ago. Still, Bolt is experienced enough to know that he is running against the clock, and for an athlete who has struggled with injury since retiring early from his 2010 season 10 months ago, this was an emphatic return over his preferred distance. And with the news that his biggest rival, Tyson Gay, may not compete over both distances at the world championships in South Korea this summer the path to defending his 200m world title looks rather straightforward.

"I think Tyson is thinking about his injury, he has a really bad groin problem which has been bothering him and that's why he hasn't been running 200m all season," Bolt said. "But for me it's not about one person, if you only focus on one person someone else can come sneaking in."

In the women's 800m the world champion, Caster Semenya, finished third in a strong field that included all three medallists from the last world championships, as well as Mariya Savinova the European and world indoor champion.

Posting a season's best of 1min 58.61sec, Semenya, who is yet to win a major race this year, said she feels she is still on target to defend her world title. "The Diamond League is not in my mind now, I'm just trying to train for the world champs so I'm not worried about the Diamond League, I'm just going to try and enjoy my races and go home. I think I'm doing quite well, compared to last year, I'm improving."

The South African led the field, with a pacemaker pushing the group hard round the first lap, right up to the home straight where she suddenly faded, finishing behind the 22-year-old Moroccan Halima Hachlaf, and the Russian Savinova.

Bookmark us!