By Gary Smith, World-Track
LAUSANNE — If anyone needed confirmation as to what sort of shape Usain Bolt was in then they can write down that number he stopped on the clock at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne Tuesday evening.
Bullet from the gun
The Olympic sprint double champion and world record holder in both events produced a superlative 19.59seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever in the event on a wet track during the rain – running into a -0.9m/s headwind to destroy a 200m field.
“I was just ready to run fast today and thank you for all your support,” Bolt said after his win.
“I’m in good shape, but I’m not fully ready yet. I still need to work on a few technical things.”
Entering the track for a second time after the rain initially forced the sprinters of the track, Bolt, who promised he would not “joke” around this evening, ran a blinding curve and then turned it on some more home straight to beat his nearest challenger by almost a full second.
American Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt finished second in 20.41, with Dutch Antilles’ Churandy Martina taking third in 20.76.
Running the last race in a strong -3.7m/s headwind, Kerron Stewart won the women’s race in 22.73secs. She Beat fellow Jamaican Sherika Williams, second in 22.99, and American Bianca Knight, who finished third in 23.10.
The Jamaicans were also dominant in the other short sprint events too.
Fraser ends Jeter’s winning streak, Powell back on form
Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser handed American Carmelita Jeter her first defeat of the season by winning the women’s 100-meters.
Former world record holder Asafa Powell destroyed a solid field in the men’s race to win in 10.07seconds.
“It’s important to win here and it’s good for preparing for the world championship,” said Fraser, who recently got back on track after doing an operation. “The weather is not so bad. A bit cold, but I wasn’t thinking about it.”
Powell, who was hoping to burn up the track with a 50th sub-10 seconds clocking, had to deal with a soaking track and pouring rain, which hindered his chances of a much faster time.
Easing off at the 90-meters mark, Powell crossed the line in front of countryman Steve Mullings, who finished second in 10.28, and American champion Mike Rogers, third in 10.30.
“This is what I’m supposed to run like,” Powell said. “This was a good race given the conditions.”
Robles looking like a champ
Cuba’s Dayron Robles, the world record holder in the 110m hurdles ran a well-controlled race to win that event in 13.18seconds, running into a -1.3 m/s headwind.
“I came here to run a good race,” said Robles. “But with this rain, it’s too difficult.”
USA’s Dexter Faulk finished second in 13.21 with another American, Aries Merritt taking third in 13.52.
Australian Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan rocketed from the blocks to and kept her lead to win the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.60seconds.
Phillips fends off Clement late run
Isa Phillips of Jamaica showed that he will definitely be a force to deal with come Berlin, after he dispatched the challenge of Kerron Clement to win the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.18.
Clement, the reigning world champion was second in 48.51.
Walker beaten
Olympic champion Melaine Walker, who was the first Jamaican on the track, did not have the same blessing in the women’s race, as she finished fourth in 55.24.
The Jamaican was beaten by American Tiffany Ross-Williams, winner of the event in 54.73seconds.
Another Cuban, Yargelis Savigne won the women’s Triple Jump competition with a 14.91m jump.
Also in the field, South Africa’s Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, in a -2.0m/s wind and competing in poor conditions for any event, leaped 8.05m to win the men’s Long Jump over American world-leader Dwight Phillips (8.03m) and the in-form Australian Fabrice Lapierre (8.00M).
