Johnson thinks Bolt could break his 200m world record

Johnson thinks Bolt could break his 200m world record


CMC from the Jamaica Observer
Monday, June 30, 2008

EUGENE, Oregon (CMC) - American sprint legend Michael Johnson believes his formidable 200-metre world record can be smashed by Jamaican 100-metre world record holder Usain Bolt.

Johnson holds the half-lap world record at an astonishing 19.32 seconds and he has been keeping a keen eye on the performances of Bolt since the 21-year-old ran 9.76 seconds in the 100 metres in Kingston last month.
(From left) Norman Peart, Bolt's local manager, Ricky Simms of PACE management, Bolt's international manager and Pascal Rolling, Puma's International Marketing manager for running, the men who handle the off the track business for newly crowned national sprint champion and 100m world record holder Usain Bolt were obviously enjoying themselves on Saturday, the second day of the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National Stadium. (Photo: Paul Reid)

"I'm ready to kiss it (200m record) goodbye...if (Bolt) keeps on doing what he's doing," said Johnson, who is in Oregon at the US Olympic trials said.

"If he is as technically sound at 200 or the improvement at 200 in technique matches what we have seen at 100, there's no telling what he is going to run," he added.

Bolt's personal best of 19.75 seconds in the 200 metres, set in 2007, ranks him 13th overall on the all-time list, but Johnson feels this could be the Bolt's year.

Bolt lowered his Jamaican colleague Asafa Powell's world 100-metre record of 9.74 seconds, with a victory in 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix on May 31.

"He is not the most technically sound 200 meters runner and whatever technical flaws you have at 200 are going to be highlighted at 100," said Johnson.

"But you take a look at his 100 when he broke the world record...he has fixed a lot of things in the off-season.

"He is 6-foot-5 and he looked like 5-5 or 5-6 getting out of the blocks."

At the World Championships in Osaka, Japan last August, Bolt ran 19.91 seconds to take silver behind American Tyson Gay, who won the race in a championship record of 19.76.

In a very fruitful 2007 season for him, Bolt broke the great Donald Quarrie's Jamaican record of 19.86 and also replaced Trinidad and Tobago's former Olympian Ato Bolton as the top all-time 200-metre runner in the Caribbean, when he clocked his career best in Kingston last June.

The world junior record holder has so far achieved nine sub-20 second times in his career.