Berlin, Germany:
Usain Bolt will be seeking to complete the 12th IAAF World Championships sprint double when he runs in the 200 metres final at the Berlin Olympic Stadium today at 1:35 p.m. Jamaica time (8:35 p.m. in Berlin).
Bolt, watched by his parents, Wellesley and Jennifer in the stands at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, breezed through his semi-final yesterday.
His 20.08 seconds, pulling up, makes him the fastest qualifier for the medal round and there is every expectation that he will be gunning not only for gold, but to get his world record well below the 19.30 seconds he clocked in Beijing last year.
Semi-final run
Following his semi-final run, Bolt said he was now "rested". He had indicated he was "a bit tired" following his 100 metres world record run. He, however, shrugged his shoulders when quizzed on whether he will be seeking a world record.
He was joined in the final by Steve Mullings who placed second to American Wallace Spearmon in semi-final two in 20.26. Spearmon clocked 20.14.
There could be double gold for Jamaica today in Berlin.
Like Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser, Melanie Walker will be seeking to add World Champion-ship gold to her Olympic title. She goes in the women's 400m hurdles final where she will meet her great rival, LaShinda Demus of the United States.
Walker has never beaten the American, who did not compete at the Olympics last year.
Maurice Smith, the silver medallist from the last championships in Osaka, crashed out of the decathlon after just one event yesterday.
Hamstring injury
Smith, considered a medal contender going into the event, following a silver medal winning performance two years ago, sustained a hamstring injury during the 100 metres.
A very disappointed Smith told The Gleaner that he was really looking forward to putting on a good show at the meet.
"When I came to the World Championships, these big games, I try to be strong and give it all I have. I was looking forward to it because I was in really good shape," said Smith.
Oleksiy Kasyanov of Ukraine leads the decathlon with 4,555 points after five events on the first day. Cuba's Yunior Diaz is second on 4,512.
Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown is among a trio of Jamaicans in the semi-finals of the women's 200 metres. The fastest of the Jamaicans was Simone Facey, who won heat one in 22.83 seconds.
Former Holmwood Technical High star, Anneisha McLaughlin, ran a career best 22.91 for second behind Cayman Islands' Cydonie Mothersill, 22.69, in heat five while Campbell-Brown took things easy in a 23.0 clocking to win heat six.
The fastest going into the semi-finals is American Marshevet Hooker with 22.51. Defending champion Allyson Felix, also of the United States, won her heat in 22.88.
Jamaica's lone competitor in the men's 400 metres semi-finals, Ricardo Chambers, failed to advance to tomorrow's final.
Drawn in lane seven in semi-final three, Chambers had every chance 50 metres out but he was relegated to third as the athletes pushed to the line.
Season best
Runners from the region dominated the first three places. Chris Brown of The Bahamas won in 44.95, with the US Virgin Island's Tabari Henry second in 44.97. Chambers had the satisfaction of running a season best 45.13.
Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt of the United States leads all qualifiers for the final with a world leading 44.37.
Also in the final is Trinidad and Tobago's Renny Quow, the 2006 World Junior champion. The 21-year-old Quow ran a personal best 44.53 to be second to Merritt in semi-final two.