Usain Bolt said he wanted to run faster in the 200m finals at the Rio Olympic Games. Bolt blew away the field with a time of 19.79, his best time of the season. According to an interview with NBC analyst Lewis Johnson, Bolt was disappointed with his time because he wanted to give the crowd a great performance.
Bolt has been vocal about breaking his 200 meter world record (19.19) and possibly running under 19 seconds. I guess he just didn’t have it in him on that day. I believe the conditions played a major factor in the 200 meter performances on Thursday. The track was wet from rain and the runners ran into a slight headwind (-0.5).
Bolt still wanted to run faster. Based off his 100m performance and his semi-final run in the 200m, it seems like Bolt is in shape to run 19.4, possibly 19.3. Regardless of the time, Usain Bolt is considered one of the greatest Olympians of all-time and most certainly the greatest track and field sprinter to ever step on the track.
He is in route of completing the “Triple Triple”, which is winning the gold medal in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the past three Olympic Games. Bolt and his teammates from Jamaica will attempt to defend their Olympic title in the 4x100m relay Friday night. Let’s see if Bolt is able to achieve this great feat.
Check the Interview of Usain Bolt after the 200m Olympic Final:
By Dr. Brandon Spradley
Dr. Spradley is the Director of Sports Management at the United States Sports Academy, and can be reached at bspradley@ussa.edu.