Bolt wins 200m at rainy Ostrava

Usain Bolt won the 200 metres in his season’s best time of 20.13 seconds in rainy, cold conditions at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet as he builds up for the world championships. His Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell claimed the 100m in 10.04 seconds, but failed to match his season’s best of 9.84 and the world-leading 9.74 set by Justin Gatlin on May 15 in Doha. Isiah Young of the United States finished second in both races, trailing home behind Bolt in 20.35 and Powell in 10.13. American Dedric Dukes has the world leading 200m time of 19.99. “Yes, it was a little colder than I thought it would be,” said Bolt on his return to the meet for a seventh time. “But it’s all about working on my technique, getting back into shape and I’ll see what happens in the next one.” Before the race Bolt said he felt fine despite dropping out of the last day of a meeting in the Bahamas this month. He said he felt pain in his thigh, but that had gone away. The 28-year-old Bolt is preparing for the Beijing worlds in August where he said he wanted to be better than at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where the Jamaican won three gold medals. Bolt is the favourite to retain his world 100 title, but knows he will have to be at the top of his game and fully fit to hold off the challenge of 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin. Czech Zuzana Hejnova won the 400m hurdles, returning after a foot injury which had kept her out for most of last season. Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski claimed the 1 000-metre race in a world-leading time of 2.17.25. American Sharika Nelvis set a meet record of 12.55 seconds in the 100 hurdles, just missing her personal best of 12.54 set in Doha. World record holder David Rudisha of Kenya dropped out halfway through the rarely-run 600 metres holding his right thigh, and limped off the track. The race was won by Poland’s Adam Kszczot in one minute 16.02 seconds. PRAGUE NAMPA/REUTERS