Bolt shatters another world record

BERLIN, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Usain Bolt turned in another record-shattering performance Thursday at the World Track Championship.

The Jamaican sprinter won the 200-meter dash for his second gold medal of the competition and once again lowered a world record by a staggering .11 of a second.

American Trey Hardee, meanwhile, won the decathlon, while Terrence Trammell settled for silver and David Payne, bronze in the 110-meter hurdles.

In a year, Bolt has gone from being a superb sprinter to one of the most famous athletes in the history of track and field.

He broke the world mark in both the 100- and 200-meter events at the Beijing Olympics and although he was heavily favored to win both sprints at the World Championship, lowering the records he set in Beijing seemed unlikely.

Nevertheless, he reduced the 100 record from 9.69 to an almost unthinkable 9.58 last Sunday and then ran a 20.19 Thursday to defeat Alonso Edward of Panama by more than a half second.

In the same race, Bolt became the first person to run 200 meters in less than 20.30 seconds and the first to go under 20.20 seconds.

Hardee turned in a personal best in the pole vault and held on to win the decathlon with 8,790 points. Leonel Suarez of Cuba placed second with 8,640, and Aleksandr Pogrelov of Russia, third with 8,528.

The first three finishers in the 110-meter hurdles were separated by just .01 of a second. Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados got the gold, followed by Trammell and Payne.

The other finals Thursday were won by Melanie Walker of Jamaica (women's 400-meter hurdles) and Blanka Vlasic of Croatia (women's high jump). American Lashinda Demus took silver in the women's hurdles.