Bolt: Now I am a legend

 LONDON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Usain Bolt made Olympic history as he won the gold medal in the 200 meters on Thursday night.

Bolt ran 19.32 to finish ahead of fellow countrymen Yohan Blake and Wallace Weir¹ to become the first man to win 100 and 200 meters titles in successive Olympics. Surely nobody can question his status as the greatest sprinter² in history.

"It's what I came here to do. I'm now a legend," he said afterwards.

Bolt had complained of slipping on the blocks as he won the 100 meters on Sunday night, but he got a flying start in 200 meters, springing out of the blocks and running an excellent bend.

To his credit Blake, who ran 19.44, was still in contention³ as they came off the bend and for a moment it looked as if he could close. But Bolt is Bolt and he maintained a lead of just over a meter which he stretched out in the closing strides, looking across to Blake as if to say 'I am still number one.'

Blake finished 0.4 second ahead of Weir to highlight that at almost any other time he would be a great champion and maybe one day soon he will be, but for the moment Usain Bolt is the king of sprinting⁴.

"I've got nothing left to prove. I've showed the world I'm the best and, right now, I just want to enjoy myself. This is my moment. I'll never forget this," said the undoubted star of these Games as he was the last.

Earlier in a magnificent night, Kenya's Lekuta Rudisha set the first new world record of the London Games when he won the 800 meters in 1.40.91.broke the 800 meters world record as he claimed the gold medal on Thursday night in the London Olympics

Rudisha went into the race after having run five of the 10 fastest times in history and made a statement of intent right from the start, running a split time off 49.28 to open up a lead that he never look like relinquishing⁵.

The Kenyan powered out a five meters lead as the field strung out around the final bend as his rivals were quite unable to live with the pace.

"I am very happy. I've waited for this moment for a very long time. To come here and get a world record is unbelievable. I had no doubt about winning. Today the weather was beautiful - I decided⁶ to go for it (the world record)," he said, after completing a win that the Chairman of the London Olympic Games Organizing Committee, Sebastian Coe, one of the great middle distance runners himself, described as one of the greatest Olympic moments.

"Lord Coe is a good friend of mine. I came here in February and he took me around the Stadium. I wanted to come here and make him proud," said Rudisha.

18-year-old Nijel Amos finished second to take and a new world junior record, while Timothy Kitum ran a personal best of 1.42.73 to win bronze.

Such was the speed of the race that all but one of the runners set a new personal best with Mohammed Aman finishing sixth and still setting a new national record for Ethiopia.

Great Britain's Andrew Osagie finished last and still managed to knock 0.7 seconds of his best time and set the fastest losing time ever in an Olympic final.

There was almost shock in the men's triple jump final when reigning⁷ world champion Christian⁸ Taylor only just managed to make the final three jumps of the competition. Taylor produced two no-jumps, before leaping 17.15 to go through. His fourth jump of 12.81 was the longest in the world this year and took him into the lead and it would give him gold at the end of the competition.

"It's such a blessing⁹ to share this moment with my family. I'm so honored. I have to thank my coach. At the beginning I was a little anxious," he commented.

Will Claye earned silver with a consistent set of jumps, of which the longest was 17.62, while consistency¹⁰ was also the watchword for Italy's Fabrizio Donato who also produced a consistent series of which a jump of 17.48 won him bronze.

World record holder¹¹ Barbora Spotakova lived up to her top billing with a throw of 69.55 meters to win gold in the women's javelin¹².

Spotakova's throw was over four meters longer than that of Germany's Christiana Obergfoll, who threw 65.16, while another German, Linda Stahl took bronze with 64.91

"I didn't even dare to think about it in this competition. I didn't realize it but it will come tomorrow. I said to myself this evening, I have got lots of experience and I am healthy and I am 100%. I believe in myself," said the Russian, whose only disappointment was that her event was the last of the day, starting after Bolt's heroics had ended.

"It was a really strange competition this evening. The stadium was half-empty but the atmosphere was great. And these Olympic Games are the biggest experience for athletes," she commentated.

Meanwhile American duo of Ashton Easton and Trey Hardee won gold and silver in the Decathlon with Cuba's Leonel Suarez finishing third.

"There's really not much I can say. I worked really hard for this, I just can't believe it. When I think about all the work I've put in. All the guys have put in a lot of work. I wonder why I deserved the gold because all these other guys worked so hard as well. It's like a family out there, all wanting to succeed," commented Easton.

The US quarter of Madison, Tarmoh, Knight¹³ and Williams ran the second fastest time of the year as they clocked 41.64 to win the first semi-final of the women's 4 X 100 meters. Trinidad and Tobago set a national record of 42.31, while Ukraine and Jamaica were also fast and will be in the mix for medals, although it is hard to focus much on times as both the US and Jamaica will almost totally overhaul¹⁴ their teams.

2009 world champion Castor Semenya ran an ominous¹⁵ season's best of 1.57.67 in her semi-final of the women's 800 meters. The South African was followed across the line by European champion, Elena Arzhakova.

The 2011 champion, Mariva Savinova responded with an assured run in her semi-final, timing¹⁶ her run to perfection to overtake Francine Niyonsaba, the African champion.

Pamela Jelimo won the first of the semi-finals in the women's 800 meters to qualify directly for the final along with Young Russian, Ekaterina Poistogova.

1 weir   

n.堰堤，拦河坝

参考例句：

• The discharge from the weir opening should be free.从堰开口处的泻水应畅通。
• Big Weir River,restraining tears,has departed!大堰河，含泪地去了！

2 sprinter   

n.短跑运动员，短距离全速奔跑者

参考例句：

• He is more a sprinter than a swimmer. 他是短跑健将，而不是游泳选手。 来自辞典例句
• The sprinter himself thinks he can run the race at 9.4 seconds. 这位短跑运动员自认为可以用9.4秒跑完比赛。 来自互联网

3 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

4 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

5 relinquishing   

交出，让给( relinquish的现在分词 )； 放弃

参考例句：

• The international relinquishing of sovereignty would have to spring from the people. 在国际间放弃主权一举要由人民提出要求。
• We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. 我们很明白，没有人会为了废除权力而夺取权力。 来自英汉文学

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

10 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

11 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

12 javelin   

n.标枪，投枪

参考例句：

• She achieved a throw of sixty metres in the javelin event.在掷标枪项目中，她掷了60米远。
• The coach taught us how to launch a javelin.教练教我们投标枪。

13 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

14 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

15 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

16 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。