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All eyes on Bolt

August 5, 2012

The world's eyes are focused on Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt as he prepares to take part in an Olympic highlight, the men's 100-meter. Bolt is facing stiff competition from some of the world's fastest athletes.

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Jamaica's Usain Bolt
Image: picture alliance / dpa

Following a day on which the limelight centered firmly on the British team with its six gold medals on Saturday, Jamaican Usain Bolt will be the focus of attention on Sunday as he tries to show he is still the fastest man on earth.

But he will be competing against several other athletes who would be all too eager to topple him from the throne. The three fastest men in the world after Bolt - fellow Jamaicans Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay of the United States - are all expected to be part of the field for the semi-finals and final on Sunday evening.

All of them have beaten Bolt over 100 m in the past.

Another runner, Ryan Bailey, also from the United States, showed with his time of 9.88 seconds in his preliminary heat that he is also a force to be reckoned with.

The 25-year-old Bolt claimed three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics four years ago with three world records. Since then he has lost his world title.

The semi-finals for the event are scheduled for 1845 GMT and the final for 2055 GMT.

Golden Saturday for Britain

Saturday belonged to hosts Britain, who had their best day at an Olympics since the first London Games in 1908, winning six gold medals.

Britain took three golds in athletics, won by Jessica Ennis (heptathlon), Greg Rutherford (long jump) and Mo Farah (10,000 meters). British rowers also won golds in the men's four and the women's lightweight double sculls.

British women cyclists added another for track cycling.

Germany, whose Lilli Schwarzkopf took silver in the heptathlon on Saturday, is pinning its medal hopes on gymnast Oksana Chusovitina in the vault final on Sunday. Chusovitina won silver in the event in Beijing.

Roger Kluge of Germany competes in the Men's Sprint Qualifying at the London 2012 Olympic Games Track Cycling competition
Kluge has hopes of a medalImage: picture-alliance/dpa

German cyclist Roger Kluge is hoping to get a place on the podium in the track cycling omnium final, while marathon runner Irina Mikitenko is a robust contender in her event.

tj/ccp (Reuters, AP)