Jamaica's Bolt: World's Fastest Man

(NEWSER) - Jamaica's Usain Bolt shattered the world record for the 100-meter race today, shearing more off the previous best time—his own—than anyone in recorded history, reports the Chicago Tribune. With a 2 mph tailwind, the 22-year-old clocked in at just 9.58 seconds—0.11 seconds faster than the 9.69 record time he set at the 2008 Olympics. More»

Bolt has only minor scratches

(NEWSER) - Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt walked away from a car accident in Jamaica with no apparent injuries except a thorn in his foot. The world champion sprinter crashed his BMW M3—a gift from sponsor Puma for his performance in Beijing—after speeding down a wet highway, the Guardian reports. But Bolt, 22, may miss an invitational meet this weekend as a result. More»

US great says Jamaica's testing policy puts Olympic feats in question

(NEWSER) - US Olympic great Carl Lewis says Jamaica needs to toughen its drug policy before he’ll take Usain Bolt’s sprinting feats seriously. “I think there are some issues,” Lewis tells Sports Illustrated. “No one is accusing anyone. But don’t live by a different rule and expect the same kind of respect.” Unlike the US, Jamaica does not have a random drug-testing program. More»

Jamaican sprinter first since Carl Lewis to win 100 and 200 meters

(AP) - Usain Bolt of Jamaica raced to a gold medal and a world record of 19.30 seconds today in the 200 meters, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics—and the first to ever break world records in both. Not even Lewis or Jesse Owens managed that. More»

Sprinters' success a combination of nature and nurture

(NEWSER) - Jamaicans sprinters are cleaning up in Beijing, thanks to both biology and their backgrounds. Runners of West African descent—including Jamaicans—have more "fast-twitch" muscle fibers, the kind that generate quick bursts of energy, Slate explains. But nature alone didn't propel 100-meter champ Usain Bolt to his record-breaking, chest-thumping gold. More»