BERLIN, Aug. 20 -- It was no surprise for Usain Bolt to break the world record in the 200 meters final. The surprise happened when little known Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados claimed the men's 110m hurdles Thursday night in a packed Olympic Stadium.
The crowd at the Berlin world athletics championships was mostly attracted by Bolt, who set a jaw-dropping 9.58 seconds world record four days ago in the 100m.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates his victory in the men's 200 meters race at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, capital of Germany, August 20, 2009. Usain Bolt on Thursday broke the world record in the 200m final with the score of 19.19 seconds, smashing his own world mark of 19.30 set exactly one year ago at the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Jamaican did not let the audience down. He clocked 19.19 seconds to smash his own world mark of 19.30 set exactly one year ago at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Alonso Edward of Panama was second in 19.81, a South American record. American Wallace Spearmon was third, clocking 19.85.
Bolt is now the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time.
But Bolt said soon after the win that he will break another world record, in the men's 4X100m relay.
"I am ready for another world record with our relay," he said. "But I don't know whether my teammates are."
He added, "I do this for my country. They are crazy for me and proud of me. I am honored to do this for Jamaica."
Olympic champion Melaine Walker was the day's another Jamaican to win a gold medal. She claimed the women's 400 meters hurdles in a World Championships record of 52.42 seconds. American Lashinda Demus took the silver in 52.96 and Trinidad & Tobago's Josanne Lucas won the bronze in 53.20.
With world record holder and Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba out with a thigh injury in the semfinals, the men's 110m was supposed to be an affair between US sprint hurdlers David Payne and Terrence Trammell.
But the 21-year Brathwaite, who failed to reach the final at the Beijing Olympics and Osaka 2007, beat these two experienced rivals in a photo finish to win the gold in 13.14 seconds.
Trammell, silver medalist two years ago, won the silver in 13.15, his compatriot David Payne was third, also in 13.15. Payne won silver at the Beijing Games and bronze in Osaka.
Robles hit the first three hurdles in his semifinal heat earlier in the day and then pulled up limping. He has been battling a hamstring injury, barely qualifying for the semifinals on Wednesday.
"This is just great!" Brathwaite said. "It did happen. I am very happy. My dream really has come true. Barbados is only a small country, but I showed the world who I am."
Trammell said a small mistake in the final moment cost him the world champion. "It was not good. I hit the last hurdle and it slowed me down. I cannot afford to do this. Ryan is a young kid and he became a world champion. It is something above his ability."
Croatia's Blanka Vlasic, surprisingly beaten in Beijing by now-retired Tia Hellebaut of Belgium, retained the women's high jump champion by clearing 2.04 meters.
Local favorite Ariane Friedrich did not quite live up to the expectations. She narrowly missed her only attempt over 2.06m after two fouls over 2.04m.
Friedrich had to settle for third in the end with 2.02m, losing on countback against Russian Anna Chicherova, bronze medalist at last year's Olympics.
The German beat Vlasic with a German record 2.06m in the same stadium in June but could not repeat the performance on Thursday.
The men's decathlon was won by American Trey Hardee with a total of 8,790 points, Cuba's Leonel Suarez finished second with 8,640 points and Russia's Aleksandr Pogorelov took the bronze with8,528.
Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele launched his bid for a second gold as he eased into the men's 5,000m final.
The Ethiopian, who holds the world record of 12 minutes 37.35 seconds, won the semifinal in 13 minutes 19.77 second.
Bekele, who became the first man to claim the titles of both 5,000 and 10,000, won his fourth successive 10,000m title at the world championships on Monday.
(Xinhua)
