A sprint double was all too predictable. To make the Olympics absolutely special, Usain Bolt added a world record double Wednesday by winning the gold medal in the 200 meters. Already well ahead coming off a tight bend that was supposed to be his only challenge, the Jamaican didn't slow for the first time in the games and bettered the world record of Michael Johnson - one that even the track great considered still out of reach. With his time of 19.30 seconds, he sliced .02 off the mark dating to the 1996 Atlanta Games. And, incredibly, he cut his personal best by a massive .37. On the eve of his 22nd birthday, Bolt did the celebrating early. In a sport dominated by hundreds of seconds, he beat the field by over half a second. All too far behind him, defending champion Shawn Crawford went from fourth to taking silver in 19.96 after both Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles, the original runner-up, and Wallace Spearmon were disqualified for running out their lane. A second American, Walter Dix, got bronze. As Bolt danced around the track on a victory lap, the stadium loudspeakers played “Happy Birthday” to the Jamaican some 90 minutes early. Never letting up, Bolt dipped at the finish line and once he saw the record was gone, he fell to the track, his giant legs and arms pointing every which way. “He is Superman 2,” Johnson said on the BBC after he saw his record fall. If swimming had Michael Phelps, track has Usain Bolt and the games are so much the better for it. And on another sultry evening where nothing seems to go wrong for the overpowering Jamaicans, Melaine Walker beat Sheena Tosta (53.70) of the United States in an Olympic record of 52.64 seconds to win the 400 hurdles. Britain's Tasha Danvers third in 53.84. When the reggae blared again, it was clear it had become the theme song of the Bird's Nest. In the absence of injured hurdler Liu Xiang, China (74.32) got an unexpected chance to cheer when Zhang Wenxiu won bronze in the hammer throw behind champion Aksana Miankova of Belarus (76.34m) and Yipsi Moreno of Cuba (75.20). In another final which turned into a one-man show, Bolt was his showboating best again. It turned him into the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics. Not even Carl Lewis or Jesse Owens could do that. All from a man that was a virtual unknown outside his Caribbean island nation ahead of this season. He had coasted to a world record of 9.69 in the 100 on Saturday but had promised to keep on running this time, knowing Johnson's record was one of the most exalted in the sport. But nothing is beyond this dangly carefree Jamaican. Less than an hour before his oversized performance, he was fooling and frolicking with his coach in the stadium tunnel, all grins and banter. While others pump themselves up with screams of encouragement, slapping their faces to get the adrenaline going, there is nothing like a joke for Bolt. Playing to crowd, he was smoothing his closely cropped pate, wiped those imaginary drops of tension from his brow before beating his yellow shirt again, and ready he was. It was unlike anything seen in the sport. “He got an incredible start. I just went ‘Wow,”' said Johnson, a man known for his calm composure. With Bolt the undisputed hero, Lyudmila Blonska could well become track's villain of the games - if a doping violation is confirmed Thursday. – AP __
