Jamaican Usain Bolt celebrates after winning the men's 200m race at the Athletissima meet in the Stade Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday. - AP
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP):
USAIN BOLT will be looking to beat his 100-metres mark for the third time this season at today's Van Damme Memorial Golden League meet - his last dash before returning to Jamaica for a vacation.
In the meet's premiere race, the two fastest men ever will line up against each other. Besides Bolt, looking to improve on his record of 9.69 seconds, meet organiser Wilfried Meert also contracted Asafa Powell, who matched the second fastest time ever of 9.72 on Tuesday.
Overcome jet lag
Bolt said he is no longer affected by a lingering cold and has overcome the jet lag of his intercontinental flight from Beijing.
On top of that, he feels loose.
He promised to give it his all, but can already look back on such an exceptional season that another record does not really matter.
"I want to stay injury free," he said, adding he will need a special warm-up programme in Belgian temperatures that might not exceed 160C (610F) on Friday night. "I don't like the cold."
Powell is his main threat after Tuesday's race, when he set a personal best by two-hundredths of a second and was one-tenth faster than his previous season's best run in Monaco before his relative loss of form on the Olympic stage where he finished fifth.
Out of nowhere
At least with Powell there, Bolt will likely have to run full speed the whole 100m.
Meanwhile, high jumper Blanka Vlasic and 800 runner Pamela Jelimo face off for the Golden League's million-dollar jackpot, the richest prize in athletics.
Jelimo has reigned supreme over the 800 this season, appearing out of nowhere to win the first five of the six Golden League meets before capping it with a dominating performance in Beijing to win Olympic gold.
So Vlasic should not count on the Kenyan teenager to crack under the pressure at the final Golden League meet. Instead, the Croatian should make sure she handles the weight of expectations herself - for once.
If the two remain perfect in the six Golden League meets, they will split the US$1-million (€690,000) pot.
Vlasic came into the Olympics on a 34-competition winning streak, an overwhelming favourite to take gold. Yet, she faltered when it counted, losing to Belgium's Tia Hellebaut in a close final, where a countback on 2.05 metres made the difference.
And Vlasic should have no doubt who the 50,000 fans at the King Baudouin stadium will root for on Friday.
Tendon trouble
Hellebaut overcame early season tendon trouble to peak at the right moment and give Belgium their only gold at the Beijing Games. After already winning the 2006 European title over the favoured Vlasic, the Belgian proved again she was at her best where Vlasic seems to falter on big occasions.
Throughout the season, Vlasic had been chasing the golden jackpot, Olympic gold and a world record of 2.10 metres. She will be lucky to escape with a share of jackpot today.
One thing is sure, it will be goodbye for European sprint champion Kim Gevaert. After anchoring the Belgian relay to a surprise silver medal at the Olympics, she will run her last race before her home crowd.
"Make sure to bring some Kleenex," Meert said.
