Bolt sets new Poland indoors 100m best 9.98 secs

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (centre) competes with Poland’s Karol Zalewski (left) and Jamaican’s Sheldon Mitchell (right) during the 100m of the 5th athletics Kamila Skolimowska Memorial event, a tribute to deceased Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska, at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, yesterday. (PHOTO: AFP)

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt set a new best time of 9.98sec for the rarely run 100m indoors at Warsaw’s national football stadium yesterday.

The Olympic champion and world record holder (9.58s) eclipsed the previous best mark for the distance of 10.05 set by Namibian Frankie Fredericks in 1996.

The Warsaw stadium had its roof closed for the event.

Bolt, in action as preparation for Zurich’s Diamond League meeting next week, said: “Above all, I wanted to get through this season without any injury as I’ve suffered enough over the past few years.

“Over the next meetings, starting with Zurich, I’m hoping to run even quicker.”

Bolt received various gifts after his win over his compatriot Sheldon Mitchell and American Trell Kimmons, among them pictures of his 28th birthday celebrations in Warsaw on Thursday.

Bolt had only run his first 100m of the year in an exhibition race on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on August 17 in a time of 10.6sec.

His last competitive individual appearance at the 100m came in Brussels last year while at last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow he was part of the victorious Jamaican 4x100m relay team.

Bolt will compete in his final Olympics in Rio in 2016 before calling time on his career in 2017 after the World Championships.

source: jamaica observer