For Usain Bolt the 100 meters has never been his race. He always wanted to try running the 100 meters, but his coach was never in favor.

“I’ve been asking for two years to give me a chance,” Bolt said. “He gave me a chance last year to run one 100 metres, and I had a 10.03. Then he decided, ‘Hey, let’s try this and see what we can do.’ I showed him what I can do in the 100 now.”

Bolt had some luck on his side when the starter called the runners back.

“When they called it back, I said, ‘Thank God,’ because I didn’t get off so well,” Bolt said. “I was happy for the false start, then I came back and got a good start the second time around.”

The previous record holder Asafa Powell has been out with a chest injury. The two runners will face each other
at the Jamaican nationals to be held from June 27th to the 29th.

For Bolt though winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics is worth more than setting any record.

“The gold medal is more important to me,” Bolt said. “Somebody’s got to wait four years to beat you. Someone can take the world record from you any time.”