Originally published Friday, June 29, 2012 at 9:40 PM
Jamaican rival stuns Bolt at track trials
The Fastest Man in the World wasn't the fastest man in Jamaica on Friday night. That honor goes to Yohan Blake, who got out of the blocks...
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Fastest Man in the World wasn't the fastest man in Jamaica on Friday night.
That honor goes to Yohan Blake, who got out of the blocks fast and finished the 100-meter final in 9.75 seconds to upset world-record holder Usain Bolt by 0.11 seconds in the Jamaican Olympic trials.
A shocker? Well, that's for the world to decide. One thing for sure, however, is that the calculus for the London Olympics has changed dramatically.
"Nine-point-seven-five, it's awesome," Blake said. "I won the world championship, so I've got that. Now, I'm the national champion for Jamaica, so I've got that. And now, I go into the Olympics like this."
Blake is indeed the reigning world champion but that victory, last year in South Korea, came with an asterisk because Bolt didn't run that night after being disqualified for a false start. This was their first rematch, their first real race since then. Bolt was considered the favorite, not only because of his world record — 9.58 seconds — but because Blake had never run below 9.82 in his life.
Well, now he has.
The 9.75 seconds goes down as the best time this year and also breaks the 4-year-old National Stadium record; both marks were 9.76 — both held by Bolt.
Wieber leads gymnasts
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jordyn Wieber looks ready for London. As for the rest of the U.S. women, they still have some work to do.
The reigning world champion was about the only one not affected by nerves, breezing through the first night of the Olympic women's trials and all but assuring herself of the lone guaranteed spot on the five-woman London team. Wieber finished with 61.7 points, 0.3 points ahead of Gabby Douglas, who had to work out of a hole after making a big error on uneven bars, her first event.
Only the winner of the two-day trials competition is guaranteed a spot on the five-woman London team, with the remaining four to be picked by a selection committee after Sunday night's competition.
"Pretty bad," Wieber said about wanting that top spot. "I try not to think about the standings, but at the same time, everyone wants that guaranteed spot."
Aly Raisman, normally rock steady, finished a distant third after a big wobble on balance beam and going out of bounds on floor exercise, where she is the reigning world bronze medalist. Kyla Ross landed her vault on her backside and was fifth. McKayla Maroney fell off both uneven bars and balance beam and was seventh. And reigning Olympic champion Nastia Liukin had another rough night.
Pistorius fails to qualify
PORTO NOVO, Benin — Oscar Pistorius' four-year quest to run in the 400 meters at the London Olympics came down to less than a quarter-second at the end.
The South African double-amputee missed out on qualifying in his individual event by an agonizing 0.22 seconds in his last chance ahead of next month's games.
He still should be picked for South Africa's 1,600 relay team, but the dream of testing himself against the world's best runners over one lap in Olympic Stadium is gone for Pistorius — for now.










Start the conversation >