[Hagler]

Originally Posted by jiveturkish

Here's Michael Johnson's opinion...


Many people have suggested I should prepare to part with my world record of 19.32sec when the final takes place at 3.20 (BST) this afternoon.

I have believed for some time now that Bolt is capable of breaking that record, but I don't think he will do it here.

What makes Bolt so incredible is his massive stride and his ability to sprint efficiently with such long limbs. That rare formula yields incredible results, just like the one we witnessed on Saturday when he covered the 100m in a world record of 9.69sec with less than 100 per cent effort.

But the 200m race is different in that it requires not just speed but also speed endurance. Additionally, while the 100m is a simple straight-ahead sprint requiring one technique throughout the race, the 200m is broken down into three different zones, each requiring something different.

The first part of the race is the curve. A sprinter has to master the running of the bend and get comfortable with it to run the 200m really fast.

The next part of the race is the transition from the curve on to the straight. This transition is very important because it is at this point where one technique is traded for another and the physical movements of an athlete's upper body and lower body must change gradually but quickly and in sync with the movement off the curve and on to the straight.

It sounds complicated but it's not really because a lot of it happens naturally as you're moving around the bend. But when you're trying to run 19.3 or better, it becomes extremely important.

I was pretty good at running the bend in spite of the fact that my inside leg is slightly longer than my outside leg. Imagine the possibilities if I had been lucky enough to be born with the opposite situation.

Bolt doesn't have a natural ability to run the curve as well as I think is required to clock 19.32 at this point. And I doubt if the emphasis in his training has been on speed endurance, since it was clear on Saturday that his focus has been on improving his 100m technique.

So, for now at least, the record is safe. But only for now.

As for the competition I think the gold will go to Bolt easily. Americans Walter Dix, the bronze medallist in the 100m, Shawn Crawford, the defending 200m Olympic champion, and Wallace Spearmon, should all figure.

But the only way any one of them will steal the gold is if Bolt makes major mistakes and doesn't run to his potential. He may not smash the record, but I back him to run even faster than the 19.67 he ran this year in a grand prix in Athens.

Looks loke Bolt read this and got pissed off.