Reuters: Sports News: Athletics: Bolt can run 9.40s says IAAF President

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Athletics: Bolt can run 9.40s says IAAF President Jul 31st 2012, 20:55 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Reuters Olympics Schedule at 1500 GMT on Tuesday, July 31 11:00am EDT Olympics-Athletics-100 metres remains the purest test 10:25am EDT Pool records fall as Phelps gets 17th medal Sun, Jul 29 2012 UPDATE 4-Olympics-Swimming-Park wins appeal but loses title Sat, Jul 28 2012 Park reinstated after disqualification, Phelps survives in swimming Sat, Jul 28 2012 Analysis & Opinion A goldless Michael Phelps Olympic medals: gold to the IRS too? Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt gestures during a team news conference in east London, July 26, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Paul Hackett By Neil Maidment LONDON | Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:55pm EDT LONDON (Reuters) - Olympic champion Usain Bolt could lower his 100 meters world record to 9.4 seconds if in shape and the rain clouds stay away from London, International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) president Lamine Diack said. "Anything is possible. I think if Usain Bolt is in shape possibly we will see 9.40-something (seconds) in the 100m," Diack told reporters on Tuesday. Bolt's record-breaking 100m win in 9.69 stunned the world four years ago at the Beijing Olympic Games only for the 27-year-old Jamaican to better his time to 9.58 in Berlin at the world championships a year later. Bolt also holds the world record in the 200m set at 19.19 set in 2009 in Berlin as well. In London, though, he has a new challenge from a familiar face in training partner and compatriot Yohan Blake, who beat Bolt in the 100m and 200m at the Jamaican trials and is the fastest man over the first distance this year. "I am convinced that we are going to have extraordinary events and spectacles," Diack said. "For me the Games begin on the 3rd (when track and field starts)." American great Michael Johnson said earlier this month that he too believed Bolt is capable of running 9.40 seconds if he can improve his starting position in races. Diack also confirmed that the Federation would stick with its one false start rule, having recently clarified that athletes can twitch or flinch in the starting blocks without being disqualified as long as their hands do not leave the ground or their feet leave the blocks. Bolt famously false started in the final of last year's world championship 100 meters, ending his chances of defending his title in South Korea. The IAAF added that the dates for the world championships in London, 2017, had been approved as August 5-13. (Editing by Justin Palmer) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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