New 100m Sprint Record

Any track fans here. I love sprints.

Justin Gatlin just broke the world record yesterday at the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha, clocking in at an insane 9.76 seconds in the 100m, shaving 0.01 seconds off the previous best of 9.77 seconds set by Asafa Powell on June 14, 2005, in Athens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLhDP9zG_ag





It's amazing that it he didn't even have the lead until past the 50m mark. Then he turned it on and blazed the track in the last 50m.

It's a great day for Track and Field. And to think just seven years ago, that besting the 9.79 by Maurice Greene was considered nearly impossible. Then Asafa Powell broke it last year with 9.77, despite shutting it down in the final stretch of that race. Then Justin Gatlin went ahead and broke that yesterday, after having never run under 9.80 before (his previous personal best was 9.85 ... he shaved a stunning 0.09 off his personal best).

Gatlin receives a $100,000 bonus from the IAAF for breaking the record. The Qatar federation is chipping in an additional $30,000.


Gatlin said running 9.73 will be his next goal. He'll be competing in the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City on June 3. And on June 11, Gatlin and Powell will face each other at the Gateshead meet in England.

That will be an exciting race.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Rounding numbers can be a bitch:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/4989558.stm

Quote:

Justin Gatlin has been sensationally denied the world 100 metres record he had claimed last Friday in Qatar.

Governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations has revealed that Gatlin ran 9.766 seconds, not 9.7 secs as first thought.

According to IAAF rules, that time should have been manually rounded up to 9.77 secs - matching but not beating Asafa Powell's existing world record.

Gatlin had said on Friday: "I feel like I'm the best of the best."

The dramatic news will come as a huge shock to world and Olympic champion Gatlin, who thought he had proved himself the greatest sprinter in the world with his 'record' in Doha.

But it adds even more intrigue to the rapidly-developing rivalry between Gatlin and Powell.

Gatlin will also be confident of lowering the new mark - particularly as he has been aiming to peak later in the season.

He said on Friday: "I had a horrible start and I know I can do better.

"The timing could be further improved this year, probably in Europe."

The IAAF said it acted after being informed of the error by Tissot Timing.

Jamaican Powell set his record in Athens last year, beating the 9.78 secs run by discredited American sprinter Tim Montgomery.

Gatlin and Powell will renew their rivalry when they go head-to-head for the first time this season at the Gateshead Grand Prix on 11 June.

The pair last met on the track at the London Grand Prix last July but Gatlin cruised to victory as Powell pulled up with a groin injury which also kept him out of the world championships.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Big fucking deal. Seen how the time has dropped over the centuries (and what drugs can make you do...well whatever...), there will be a new record soon anyway.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

100m record? World's tallest building.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

WTC? Well ehh I read somewhere that it took the first tower about 17 seconds for 400m. Would be 4,25s per 100m. New world record, yay.

I was speaking idiomatically.