Form Coming In
It would be fair to say that in the last year or so Usain Bolt has not been the imperious, high performing athlete that he is known across the world for being. This has been particularly evident since he shockingly blew his chances of gold in last year’s World Championships, when he inexplicably false started and was disqualified from the 100 metres final. He responded in kind with a dominant run to gold in the 200, however it is in athletics’ flagship event where he has had the most focus.
He has been beaten at both distances recently by Jamaican team-mate Yohan Blake, and whether he can hit back in London has been questioned by many.
100 Metres
In Beijing four years ago, Bolt became the first man to go under 9.7 seconds at the distance, and in 2009 the first to beat 9.6, on both occasions setting world records.
Despite being beaten this year and having had injury problems, Bolt is still a huge favourite to win gold in a couple of weeks’ time. If the top contenders and his rivals all qualify for the final, it has the potential to be the greatest 100 metres race of all time.
Away from athletics, the Olympic 100 metres final is set to break another record: for the most Tweets sent in one second!
Does Bolt Win Gold? No, but he will perhaps get close to his world record time, ultimately losing the race and the record to Blake.
200 Metres
Where American legend Michael Johnson once did what no-one believed possible at this distance, Bolt came along and did even more, decimating the previous world record on two occasions at consecutive major championships.
Bolt’s downfall in the 100 metres will likely be the start, although at the shorter distance he has also been liable to being run down, too. Expect him to have too much speed endurance over the longer distance and, if he is fully fit, the world record could once again be in danger.
Does Bolt Win Gold? Yes, dominantly.
4 x 100 Metres Relay
Ah, the relay. Through athletics’ fabled history, this event is littered with superstar teams that could and should have wiped the floor with the opposition, then dropped the baton!
Jamaica have shown remarkable skill in getting the baton around the track safely at unbelievable speeds, and if they manage it here then they should be untouchable.
Does Bolt and Jamaica Win Gold? Yes.
Videojug have just produced a series of online videos about the Olympic Games including instructional tutorials on some of the most popular sports such as table tennis, swimming, and judo.