BEIJING — Usain Bolt celebrated his coronation as the world’s fastest man 20 meters early, throwing out his arms and thumping his chest. But he still obliterated the world record in the 100 meters Saturday night, turning his Olympic gold medal performance into a show of astounding talent.
Bolt could have run far faster than his 9.69 seconds had he run through the finish line, but he sliced 0.03 off his world record anyway. In the end, it was all about Bolt putting on a show for a crowd that has roared for him every time he steps on the track.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/sp...pagewanted=all
BEIJING — With the help of his teammates on Sunday, Michael Phelps surpassed Mark Spitz, 36 years after Spitz’s record haul of seven gold medals at the Munich Games. The United States won the 4x100-meter medley relay in 3:29.34, a world record, for Phelps’ eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games.
Phelps swam the third — the butterfly — leg of the relay. His teammates were Aaron Peirsol (backstroke), Brendan Hansen (breaststroke) and Jason Lezak (freestyle). Australia took silver and Japan the Bronze.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/sp...=1&oref=slogin