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12th IAAF World Track & Field Championships
Berlin, Germany
August 15 - 23rd, 2009
John Nepolitan on site

 Day 9 (8/20) – Lightning Bolt strikes again

Aug 20 photo gallery

19.19! What more can you say?  It is fast - and it looked so fast, knowing that he had such a huge lead in the closing 50 meters over a great field.  Sitting in the stadium, you knew it was going to be super fast.  I had been at a press conference, featuring Michael Johnson, a few hours before and he thought that Bolt would win the 200, but did not think that he could break the world record.  He thought Bolt had to be had to be tired from the 100 and the rounds of the 200.  I think everybody has learned to never, ever doubt what Bolt can do.  One last note about the Jamaican sprint star – you know you are the top person in your sport when not only everybody in the stands (of course) watches you, but athletes in events that are going on at the same time you're running stop and watch you.  In the opening round of the 200, the women’s high jump qualifying was going on - and all the jumpers stopped and watched Bolt run, as did all the officials.  Then last night, when the runners settled into their blocks once again, the women’s high jumpers who were in the middle of their final stopped to watch, as did the decathlon javelin throwers.

The other highlight was the women’s high jump.  Blanka Vkasic, who won the World Championship two years ago in Japan, had lost on her last trip to Berlin earlier this summer to German policewoman Ariane Friedrich.  Both women know how to play to the crowd and they did not let the packed stadium (57,937 fans – a total so far over 365,000) down.  Anna Chicherova of Russia almost upset both of them, but in the end Vlasic took the gold medal and then treated the crowd to 3 attempts at a new world record.  She did not set a new world mark, but still thrilled the crowd.

As for the Americans, they had a pretty good day.  The highlight for me was seeing two friends, Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky, advance to the 5000 final.  With Bernard Lagat also in the final, it will be fun on Sunday evening seeing three runners wearing the USA uniform.  

I was sad to see Steve Hooker (the 2008 Olympic Pole Vault champ - photo below) in pain in the landing pit after his one and only jump.  Right before the start of these championships, the Australian hurt his thigh and it was 50-50 as to whether he would even compete.  I did the first full interview with Steve printed in the USA a year before he was first ranked #1 in the world.  Hope he can jump in the final, but on the other hand, hope he doesn’t to make sure that there is no further damage done to his leg.

The opening round of the 800 saw no major contenders knocked out, but that could all change tonight when the semifinals are run.  Semi #2 is packed and could very easy have been the final.  This is my 4th World Track Champs and, without a doubt, I think the 800 semis are the most brutal race of the entire meet.  Any one of the semis that I have seen could be a Grand Prix race.

Just 3 more days of competition, then head home on Monday the 24th and all attention will turn to XC


Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky right with the leaders
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