Usain Bolt storms to victory in Rome in 9.76 seconds

Rome : Usain Bolt stormed back to form by winning the 100m at the Rome Diamond League meeting in 9.76 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.

The Jamaican was sluggish by his own standards in clocking 10.04 last Friday in Ostrava in the Czech Republic.

But he exploded out of the blocks in Rome to hit the front early on and power away from compatriot Asafa Powell, who was second in 9.91 secs.

The performance of Grabarz was particularly noteworthy, as he cleared 2.33m to set a new personal best and the leading height in the world this year, while Rutherford continued his recent good form by winning the long jump with a leap of 8.32m, 3cm short of his new joint British record.

But the undoubted star of the night was Bolt, who admitted some relief at returning to the sort of style and times for which he is known.

‘I knew I could do it,’ the triple Olympic champion told BBC Sport. ‘Since I’ve been in Europe I’ve not been sleeping regularly, so after Ostrava I made sure I started going to bed earlier and eating right.

‘I felt extememly well today, so it’s come back and I am pleased.

‘People expect me to do well all the time but I expect a lot of myself also, so it is not a pressure for me. I came out tonight not to prove anything to the world but to tell myself I`ve still got it, and I`m working my way from here.’

Powell was left complaining he was unable to hear the starter’s gun properly, while Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre trailed in a distant third in 10.04.
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The other outstanding display of the night saw Kenyan Paul Koech run the third fastest time ever in the 3,000m steeplechase, powering home in 7:54:33, seven-tenths of a second outside the mark set by Saif Saaeed Shaheen in Brussels eight years ago.

There was a surprise in the women`s 100m as Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast set a new personal best and national record of 11 seconds dead to pip Jamaican duo Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kerron Stewart.

Javier Culson won the men`s 400m hurdles ahead of American Bershawn Jackson in the absence of Welshman Dai Greene, who pulled out after waking up on Thursday morning with a virus.

Britain`s Nathan Woodward finished fifth, while former world champion Felix Sanchez fell after coming off the final hurdle feeling cramp in his calf, but later declared the problem was not serious.

Grabarz lost his lottery funding at the end of a poor season in 2011, but that forced him to re-dedicate himself to the sport and it paid dividends as he cleared each height from 2.20m at the first attempt until failing to clear 2.35m.

‘I achieved what I set out to achieve,’ the 24-year-old said. ‘I have been jumping very well in training but been trying to keep a lid on it. That`s why I started my season so late.’

BDST: 1138 HRS, June 01, 2012
Edited by: Manoz Halder, Newsroom Editor