ZURICH, Switzerland (CMC): Usain Bolt’s coach Glen Mills believes the Jamaican sprint marvel was on track to run 9.52 seconds in the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics, had he not eased up to celebrate at the finish.

Bolt clocked 9.69 seconds to win gold in a world record-breaking performance but slowed to celebrate the phenomenal win 10 metres before the finish.

“Bolt’s first 60 metres was very good. I was told that with an all-out finish, after the opening 60 metres, Usain was projected to run a 9.52,” Mills told reporters ahead of yesterday’s Weltklasse Golden League meeting in Zurich, Wednesday evening.

Own standard

“I haven’t seen the complete biomechanical report from Beijing yet, but I can say that Usain had a good start by his own standard.”

Meanwhile, any doubts as to whether Bolt would continue to run the 100 metres after his incredible season this year were put to rest by Mills.

“This is only his first year of running the 100 metres, his first year with serious work in the event,” said Mills.

“In two more years, he should be peaking at this distance and, by then, I am certain he will be down to there (9.50 or faster).”

As astonishing as Usain Bolt’s record-breaking 100-meter sprint was, his time of 9.69 seconds is nowhere near what biostatisticians predict is the natural limit for the human body. But because he broke the mathematical model that had fit 100-meter record data for almost a century, Bolt’s incredible performance could reset how fast researchers believe humans ultimately can run.

“This trend seems to defy simple curve fitting,” wrote Tatsuo Tabata, director of the Institute for Data Evaluation and Analysis in Japan.

Statisticians have used a lower limit for 100-meter times of about 9.45 seconds, according to Tabata and other researchers. The exponential curve seen above — which is drawn from an equation calculated to fit the world record data — had been quite successful at predicting the steady progress of faster and faster 100-meter times. But Bolt’s recent string of world records was clearly not an expected event: The model didn’t predict a 9.69 until almost 2030.”

BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — Triple Olympic sprint gold medalist Jamaican Usain Bolt on Saturday made a personal donation of 50,000 U.S. dollars to children in the earthquake-stricken Sichuan Province, and wished people there to “get through from the tragedy” and move forward with the inspiration of the Olympic Games.

“We came here, tried to perform well,” said the Jamaican, who claimed the gold medals in men’s 100m and 200m sprint as well as the 4×100m relay at the Beijing Olympic Games. “I hope people enjoy the games, forget the past and move on.”

“You have to move forward after the disaster. And also, the Olympics ask people to move forward,” he added.

An 8.0-magnitude tremor hit the southwestern Chinese province and its neighboring regions on May 12, killing nearly 70,000 people and leaving some 18,000 others missing. At least 10 million people lost their homes to the disaster. Liu Xuanguo, vice general secretary of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF), presents a T-shirt with the logo of CRCF to Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt during a donation ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 23, 2008. Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals in the men’s 100m, men’s 200m, and men’s 4×100m relay competitions of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, donates 50,000 U.S. dollars through the CRCF to the children in the earthquake-hit areas of China on Saturday, and invites six earthquake-affected children to travel to Jamaica.

Bolt said that he had seen reports of the earthquake on TV for a long time. “It makes me feel sorry for the victims, so I ask my management team to do something,” said Bolt in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, after delivering the cheque to Liu Xuanguo, secretary-general of the Red Cross Foundation of China.

Two children from Sichuan, confined to wheelchairs due to quake-inflicted injuries, presented their paintings to Bolt as gifts.

“They are kids. They deserve a better future,” Bolt said, crouching between the wheelchairs. “I hope they can still enjoy themselves, because they are still kids. And, it’s great for kids to live in joys. I just want to help them.”

“I’m looking forward (to) more people coming out and helping them.” Bolt said.

Weeks before the opening of the Beijing Games, Bolt had trained in Tianjin, a north China port city some 120 km from Beijing. He was given a painting there, which depicted Chinese soldiers rescuing kids from under the rubble.

“I still keep the painting, and will definitely bring it home,” Bolt told Xinhua. “I really appreciate it.”

Talking about the Olympic Games, Bolt said that he was welcome in China, and was moved by the Chinese people. He said he was moved to tears on the night of winning the 200m race, when more than 90,000 spectators in the National Stadium, or the Bird’s Nest, sang “happy birthday” for him.

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