• London 2012 - Athletics

Bolt prepared for shot at historic achievement

ESPN staff
August 9, 2012
Usain Bolt pushed through the turn © PA Photos
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Usain Bolt insists he is ready to become the first Olympian to win both sprint titles in successive Games after coasting at "90 per cent" in the semi-final of the 200m.

Bolt loped down the home straight on Wednesday evening, recording a time of 20.18 seconds to qualify for Thursday's final with plenty of energy in reserve. However, the Jamaican revealed he used his semi-final run to prepare himself for his shot at history.

"I was working on my technique around the corner, I really wanted to work hard in the first 70 metres, push myself to see how I feel, I hadn't run a corner hard in a long while so I did that.

"Execution was pretty much probably 90 per cent, it didn't feel that bad, so I'm going to ask my coach to give me a few pointers and then we'll work on it for the final," Bolt said.

Despite the ease of his semi-final victory, Bolt says he is not taking his competitors lightly as he looks to stave off challenges from compatriot Yohan Blake, American Wallace Spearmon and Christophe Lemaitre of France.

"As you know Yohan is ready, Wallace Spearmon is there and we've been here before so he knows what it takes to be a champion - Lemaitre didn't look so good in his heats but I know he's a fighter and he works hard, so there's a lot of people there who've come to spoil the party," he said.

Indeed, Spearmon later became irate when asked if the final was a race in two between the Jamaican favourites, saying: "That's why we're racing. If [Bolt and Blake] weren't beatable we'd just hand them medals while we race for third or whatever. Yeah they're beatable."

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