200 Meters in 19.30 Seconds: Motherfriggin' Fast
When Michael Johnson set the 200 meter world record in Atlanta in 1996 (running a blazing quick 19.32) track and field gurus said that was a benchmark that would stand for generations. Conventional wisdom had it that anybody alive to have watched that event would go to their graves with the record still intact.
So much for long term prognostications.
Usain Bolt obliterated the field in Beijing. Sprints, especially those involving the most elite athletes in the world, are usually photo finishes. But Bolt was lengths ahead of the second place finisher. To put his feat in perspective, covering the distance he did in the time he ran (especially the back half--the second 100 meters) means he was moving at close to 25 miles per hour. That's nearly top speed for a Yugo.
The frightening this is that he's not yet reached his peak. See you in London, pal.
