'Lightening' Bolt smashes 200m world record to become first man in 24 years to win Olympic sprint double
Usain 'Lightening' Bolt today became the first man in 24 years to win the sprint double after storming to gold in the 200 metres and smashing the world record in the process.
The Jamaican, who turns 21 tomorrow, is the first sprinter since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win the 100m and the 200m and only the ninth to do so in modern Olympic history.
He stormed to victory before a packed Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing in 19.30 seconds - 0.02 seconds under the record set by Michael Johnson in Atlanta in 1996.
The win also made him the first man ever to break world records in both events. He won the 100m on Saturday in 9.69 seconds, apparently slowing down before the line.
Joy: Usain Bolt celebrates winning the 200m and the sprint double
Michael Phelps has been hailed as the competitor of the Games after taking eight golds in the pool, but Bolt's double could see him rival for the same title.
Overwhelmed at his own success, he collapsed to the ground after the race today and clutched his head in his hands.
The 6ft 5in sprinter had already astonished the crowds with his 100m run at the weekend where he was clearly celebrating winning the gold before crossing the line.
In the 200m today, there was no relaxation until he passed the finish - despite the fact he was storming ahead of the field well before the 100m mark.
After the event, he said: 'It's great. I have a great feeling. This is a dream come true. You come out every day to be a champion and I'm just happy.'
Asked if he had been aiming to beat Johnson's record, he added: 'I was worried after the semis but I told everybody I would leave everything on the track and I did just that. I've proved I'm a true champion and that with hard work, anything is possible.'
Impressive: Bolt grins as he powers across the line to take gold
But breaking Johnson's time set 12 years ago is a huge achievement for the Jamaican, who has become a star of Beijing since winning at the weekend.
Johnson, now a commentator for the BBC, pretended to be gutted as Bolt made it to the finish just under his own record time but then erupted into laughter.
The American had earlier predicted that his record would stand, but admitted it would not be long before he had to 'kiss it goodbye'.
That came sooner than he expected however, as Bolt proved him wrong by completely dominating the race to produce one of the stand-out moments of the entire Games.
Amid wild celebrations after his winning run, the watching crowd sang Happy Birthday to the athlete as he jogged a lap of honour.
He also did a bizarre jig in front of photographers before turning to the television cameras and repeatedly saying: 'I am Number One'.
Doing the double: Bolt is the first man since Carl Lewis (right) to win both the 100m and 200m sprint events in one Olympics
Johnson, who watched the event from the BBC's spot above the track, was gracious in his praise for the new record holder.
'He got an incredible start. I looked at Colin Jackson and I said, "Wow!". It was much more of an amazing start than he got in the 100m and his turn was just absolutely fabulous.
'He wanted that record. This is his favourite event. He went for it. He came in here focused on it, knowing most likely he'd win the gold.
'The reason I felt he might not get it here was he wouldn't have been working on speed endurance, the ability to hold that speed for the entire race but he showed that he had been working on that, and was able to bring home 19.30.
'Incredible time, incredible performance by Usain Bolt once again. Congratulations Usain.'
Top dog: The Jamaican beat the record held by Michael Johnson by 0.02 seconds
The 21-year-old was a massive odds-on favourite to take the second title after his form in the heats wowed his fellow competitors.
In the final, Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles took silver but there was controversy over the bronze position.
American Wallace Spearmon crossed the line in third but was disqualified for running out of his lane and team-mate Shawn Crawford was promoted on to the podium.
Britain's Christian Malcolm could only manage seventh place in a time of 20.40 seconds.
Speculation was today already turning to whether Bolt could bring home the 'double double' by winning both events again at the London Games in 2012.
He was not even born when Lewis bagged the double in Sarajevo in 1984 and few outside athletics would have known his name before these Olympics.
But his impressive performances ensure he will leave Beijing one of the most well-known athletes on the planet.
Beaten: Michael Johnson after setting the previous record in Atlanta in 1996 Source: Daily Mail UK, August 20, 2008 
