Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt both set new Meeting Records in winning their events at the Athletissima Lausanne Diamond League Meeting at the Pontaise Olympic Stadium at the lakeside Swiss city Thursday evening 23 August. Blake beat a high quality field to win the men’s 100 metres in an astounding 9.69 seconds (wind -0.1) breaking the Meeting Record of 9.82 previously held by Usain Bolt and setting a new personal best, while establishing himself as the joint second fastest man ever in a race timed over this distance. His closest pursuers were the USA’s Tyson Gay, several strides behind in 9.83 seconds, and Jamaica’s Nesta Carter: 9.95.
Clearly impressed by his club-mate’s exploits, Usain Bolt stepped on the track twenty minutes later and, after tuning an invisible guitar at the start, danced to his own music to win the 200 metres in 19.58 seconds (wind +1.4) breaking his own Meeting Record by one-hundredth of a second. Following him some way behind were three of his Racers men-at-arms: Jason Young (fourth in 20.00); Warren Weir (fifth in 20.03); and Marvin Anderson (seventh in 20.60). The other Jamaican in the race, Nickel Ashmeade, equalled his season’s best of 19.94 to take third place behind Churandy Martina of the Netherlands, who set a national record 19.85 to claim the runner-up spot behind Bolt.
Shortly before Blake’s fireworks, the UWI’s Hansle Parchment, in spite of a slight headwind (-0.6 m/s), strengthened his position near the pinnacle of sprint hurdling by taking third place in the 110 metres hurdles in 13.15 — his third best time — in a race where the USA’s David Oliver stole second place on the line in 13.14. The winner was Jason Richardson in 13.08 after Olympic champion Aries Merritt was disqualified for a false start.
