Will Usain Bolt defend 100M - the fastest man on earth

The countdown to ‘the fastest legs’ in history has already begun.  At 21.50  London Time this night [early morning 02:20 at India – 6th Aug 12] the event would have been complete and you could have watched the fastest man at Olympics 2012. 

All eyes would be on the 3 heats [Semi finals] to be conducted at 19:45 local time at London and Jamaica could have 4 of their country men in the last 8.  Asafa Powell is on Heat 1; Usain Bolt on 2;  Yohan Blake competing in Heat 3.  The reigning 100 m Olympic champion is  named "the fastest man/woman in the world".  All the 3 from Jamaica can outsmart their rivals and even 1-2-3 podium finish of Jamaicans is possible. 

The last Olympics at Beijing in 2008 was all about Usain Bolt.   In the Olympic 100 m final, Bolt broke new ground, winning in 9.69 seconds.  He has since cut a few more seconds out of that.  9.58is the World Record and 9.69 is the Olympic record in 100M and both belong to Bolt.   Usain Bolt ran faster in 200M winning the Gold creating a new world and Olympic record of 19.30 s.Two days later, Bolt ran as the third leg in the Jamaican 4x100 metres relay team, increasing his gold medal total to three. Along with teammates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, and Asafa Powell, Bolt broke another world and Olympic record, their 37.10 s finish breaking the previous record by three tenths of a second.

While Bolt has been touted to become one of the most successful sprinters ever, his fellow mate Yohan Blake has beaten him twice in the recent past and is also rearing to go.  So, Bolt is raring to defend his 100M & 200M Olympic titles and the best challenge is from his own mate and country men.  Blake, was crowned world champion in Daegu last year after Bolt sensationally false started in the final.  Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin also could be serious contenders. Gatlin won the 100m title in Athens in 2004 but was barred from defending his title in Beijing after he was banned for doping offences.

At some point of time 10seconds was considered improbable till  Jim Hines ran 9.95 in 1968; Ben Johnson ran an incredible 9.83; Asafa Powell lowered it to 9.74; before Usain Bolt burst on the scene. 

So the whole World is waiting to see who could be fastest man on earth….. and will Bolt successfully defend his title.  Will there be any new Olympic record ?

One thing for sure, is Bolt will not be challenged by St Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins who  has been dramatically dropped out of the Olympics after falling out with his team for visiting his wife.  Collins says he was given permission to see her for a night, but St Kitts and Nevis officials said they had not heard from him for three days. They then cancelled his accreditation for the London 2012 Games.  Collins claimed that she's not only my wife but assistant coach. She assists  him in coaching two of the other guys in the team, Jason Rogers and Lestrod Roland.  Collins had been due to run in heat seven of the men's 100m, which was won by Great Britain's Dwain Chambers in 10.02 seconds.

St Kitts and Nevis will have one representative in the semi-finals of the 100m. Antoine Adams qualified, but Rogers was eliminated after finishing fifth in the heat won by defending champion Usain Bolt.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar. 20:50IST