All season long I had been saying to myself that Usain Bolt didn’t seem quite himself. He is still winning every race he runs, yes, but he wasnt winning with the level of dominance that we saw in 2008 and 2009.
The thing is we have been spoiled by the high standards Bolt sets for himself. When he ran the 19.56s over the 200 metres at the national stadium on May 1, I found myself thinking that he could have gone faster as opposed to recognizing that the time was the fourth fastest in history and that only he, and one other man – Michael Johnson – had ever gone faster.
He then went to Daegu where his 9.86s 100-metre run didnt look all that impressive. He really worked hard for that time but because he has shown us 9.58s, we have come to believe that he needs to approach that time every time he steps onto the track.
He then drops 19.76s over the 200 metres in Shanghai and again I was not satisfied. Again, he seemed to be working too hard and failed to get that unbelievable separation from the mortals he was competing against.
Then yesterday after clocking 30.97s over the rarely run 300 metres and failing to break Michael Johnson’s standard of 30.85  that was run in Pretoria at altitude 10 years ago, Bolt finally confirmed my suspicions. “I am not in the same shape I was in in 2008 and in 2009,” he said, still breathing heavily from the effort. “I’m done.”
All season long Bolt has been saying that he plans to take it easy this year. He plans to break no records, only do what is required to win.

It should be interesting to see how this relative lack of fitness from Bolt plays out when he goes head to head with both Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, who look really sharp this year and are aiming to topple Bolt, even if it is for just one race.

Those races are going to be fun to watch, the anticipation palpable, because now that we know what we know, we are forced to acknowledge that there is no certainty that Bolt will win. Drama.

For the remainder of this season, its not Bolt against the clock, its Bolt against the two other fastest men in history. Superman has taken off his cape and returned to the ranks of the mortals and that is the kind of drama track and field needs.

Usain Bolt recently suggested that if he is going to be beaten this would be the year for his rivals to think about doing it.
After seeing Tyson Gay run an amazing 19.41 second run over the 200-metre straight in Manchester on Sunday, it just might happen.
The time Gay ran broke the decades-old existing record set by American sprint great Tommie Smith who ran 19.5 seconds on a cinder track.
The 200-metre straight is harder to run because there is no curve to slingshot off and the runner really doesn’t know how to pace himself sprinting along the straight.
When Bolt set a new world’s best over the rarely 150 in Manchester last year, his 100m split was 9.91s. Gay’s 100-metre split yesterday was 9.88s and at 150 14.41, not far off Bolt’s 14.35s.
Gay has shown that he is not intimidated by Bolt’s amazing speed. Instead of intimidating him, Bolt’s prowess has only served to motivate Gay to try and achieve higher levels of performance.
Ultimately there might be a limit to what Gay can accomplish physically but that wont stop him from trying. On Sunday in Manchester you saw evidence that Bolt will have to be close to his very best to keep Gay at bay this year. Both sprinters are set to meet a few times in both the 100 metres and the 200 metres. Those races are already promising to be special.
At the Jamaica International Invitational on May 1, after clocking 19.56s to win the 200 metre run – the fourth fastest time ever – Bolt said he had no interest in setting records this season. This is a season to take it easy, he said. Next year the World Championships come up in Daegu South Korea and those games are followed by the Olympics in London in 2012. Those events are where Bolt has his focus for the time being.
I would suggest that he not look too far ahead as even though he has no plans to break records this year, he just might find that he has to if he is to remain unbeaten.

The inaugural Diamond League got off to a fiery start last Friday in Doha. Former world record holder and World Championship bronze medallist Asafa Powell threw down the gauntlet to Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt with two very quick 100-metre dashes 9.75s (2.6m/s) and 9.81 (2.3m/s) while not even breaking a sweat.

Sure, the times were aided by over-the-limit winds but when you consider that Powell barely exerted any effort, it is plain to see that he is already in shape to run under 9.70 seconds this season.

Powell has taken a beating from Bolt and Gay on the track over the past two years and from members of the public who have lost patience with his inability to win a major championship but there are signs that Powell will return to relevance this season and in the years to come.

For the first time in a long while Powell has managed to start the season with suffering any major injury.

He looked decent at a couple of development meets and show some raw speed running a 200m in the rain at the Utech Classic. Over the first 8o metres of that race was perhaps the quickest I have ever seen him.

He was sharp and his cadence was incredible. Word is that he is also a lot stronger this year. Evidence of that strength is floating around in cyberspace in the form of a video of Asafa clocking a 31.60-second 300-metre run. To put that in perspective Michael Johnson’s personal best is 30.88s I believe.

Yes, Asafa looks set to run fast this year. He has said that he feels he can surpass Bolt’s world record of 9.58s. With no major championships on the agenda this year I expect to see Asafa make a full scale assault on Bolt’s record even while exacting some measure of revenge on Tyson Gay surpassing him to reclaim his spot as the second fastest man ever.

It’s not going to be easy but I don’ t believe that is going to stop him from trying.

Whether or not he can reclaim the title of fastest man we eagerly await the answer to that question.

All I know its going to be fun finding out.

As I walked towards the National Stadium last week Saturday from Roosevelt Avenue, an hour before the Jamaica National Jamaica International Invitational was scheduled to get underway, I began to notice the significant numbers of people heading in the same direction.
It was about then that I began to estimate that this year’s meet was going to be well attended. I was thinking perhaps 10-15 thousand people were going to be at the national stadium to watch Usain Bolt, Carmelita Jeter, Kerron Stewart and a host of other world class athletes perform.
But even with my expectations of 15,000, my jaw still hit the floor once I climbed the stairs and walked into the grandstand. There were already 15,000 people there and another 15,000 outside waiting to get in!
Sure, we have seen the stadium full for track meets before – the final day of Champs, the World Youth Championships in 2002, but there had never been a crowd like this at a senior track meet. Never.
And they were not disappointed. There clash between Kerron Stewart (10.96) and 2009’s fastest woman, the lovely Carmelita Jeter (10.94)  lived up to expectations as the race went right down to the wire. Nesta Carter also impressed in the men’s 100 metres with a very good 10.09s. Clearly, he is going to run very fast this year. It was such a pity we did not get to see Yohan Blake as he false started and was eliminated.

American Chuante Howard was incredible in clearing a two metres to easily win the women’s high jump. It was heartening to see the crowd support her as she jumped higher and higher.

 Christian Cantwell also threw a world-leading 21.5 metres to win the shot putt.

And to top that all off, local super athlete Usain Bolt clocked the fourth fastest 200 metres in history when he won the 200 metre run in a mind-boggling 19.56 seconds. Any true track fan could not have asked for more.
It was such a pity Asafa Powell, Shelly Ann Fraser and Shericka Williams were not there but the show went on and went on well. In truth they were not missed.
Kudos to the JAAA and the organising committee for putting on such a wonderful show. The meet has definitely grown and evolved into a truly high-quality international meeting.
The JAAA are planning bigger things for the future and I am wishing them the best of luck because if this is a taste of what could be coming in the future, then I cant wait and neither can Jamaica.