• Golden Spike

Bolt still off pace despite another 100m victory

ESPN staff
May 31, 2011
Usain Bolt played the showman despite a sluggish run © Getty Images
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Usain Bolt overcame another sluggish start to nevertheless win the 100 metres in 9.91 seconds at the 50th Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava.

In a remarkably similar run to five days ago at the Diamond League meeting in Rome, Bolt was beaten out of the blocks but hauled down fellow Jamaican Steve Mullings over the second 50 metres to win in the same time he recorded while beating Asafa Powell in the Italian capital.

Despite the track appearing to be a fast one - earlier Veronica Campbell-Brown won the women's race in 10.76secs - Bolt's struggles increased questions about his form and fitness ahead of the World Championships later in the year. But the man himself insisted everything is on track.

"It's good, I felt much better in this race [than last week]. I was hoping for a faster time but I am happy," Bolt said.

Elsewhere, there was disappointment for Team GB Olympic medal hopeful Dai Greene, as he came a distant second to South African LJ van Zyl in the 400m hurdles for the second time in less than a week - the Welshman clocking 48.47s to be some way adrift of Van Zyl's 47.66.

In other events, Cuban Olympic champion Dayron Robles won the 110m hurdles in 13.14, while Kelly Sotherton was fifth in the 400m in 52.59.

In the pole vault there were mixed fortunes for British athletes, with Holly Bleasdale upstaging British record holder Kate Dennison to finish third with a vault of 4.50m, as Dennison could only manage sixth.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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