PARIS, France, July 17, 2009 - Usain Bolt of Jamaica wins the men's 100m at the Paris Golden League on Friday. Rick Broadbent, Athletic Correspondent, in Paris - Times Online If the rest of the world’s sprinters have all but thrown in the towel, Usain Bolt must just hope to finish a race without one. He provided another remarkable, explosive cocktail of power, pace and panache last night and clocked 9.79sec in the Paris rain at the fourth Golden League meeting of the year. “It was like flying,” he said. It is testament to his freakish speed that it seems almost inconceivable that the world record will not tumble this summer, and, given Bolt’s penchant for drama, probably in the final at the World Championships in Berlin next month. It is just as mind-boggling that this was only the fifth-fastest 100 metres that Bolt has run, that it came into a slight headwind and that the triple Olympic champion admitted he is still a poor starter. “My reaction time was poor,” he shrugged after topping the bill. “It’s something I have to work on in the next few weeks. That’s life. Things don’t ever happen the way you want.” That seemed a trifle begrudging given he has been living a dream since Beijing. And while he may have a genuine rival this season in Tyson Gay, whose 9.77 is still the fastest time of 2009, Bolt has the unique ability to make the unfeasible seem ordinary. It was not as if he beat a bunch of fall guys last night. Richard Thompson was second in Beijing but was a quarter of a second adrift. Simeon Williamson, the new UK champion, was sixth in 10.14. That might look lame alongside Bolt’s latest hit, but given the atrocious conditions, Williamson may well make good on his ambition to dip below 10sec before long. Bolt, though, remains the top dog and the rest have to make do, which may well be why Ivory Williams, the former world junior champion, has named his pitbull after himself. “I know people love me so I try every time to be at my best,” Bolt said. “In these conditions the time is great.” The rain has been following Bolt this summer. From crashing his car in it in Jamaica to running a stunning 150 metres in a sodden Manchester, he has proved a man for all seasons. A sunny day in Berlin might push the event’s boundaries to breaking point. Britain’s Phillips Idowu is also looking for his day in the sun in Germany. “Gold is always the target,” he said after winning the triple jump with a leap of 17.17 metres in the Stade de France. “I have worked too damn hard to go there setting my heart on silver. I know it is going to be tough but I can’t envisage anything else but the gold.” Harry Aikines-Aryeetey got one of those at the European Under-23 Championships in Lithuania. The 20-year-old Briton set a season’s best 10.15sec to lead a British clean sweep, with Leevan Yearwood and Ron Pierre completing the podium. Although Aikines-Aryeetey was only fourth at the trials, his time puts him in with a chance of selection for the World Championships. Only Williamson has secured his place for what will be another Bolt-fest.
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