OGYAFIE

ASTU ON A MOVE TO LIVERPOOL

2013-05-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

Transfer news: Liverpool leading chase to sign Porto winger Christian Atsu

Christian Atsu: Porto winger a transfer target for Liverpool

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Sky Sports understands Liverpool are leading the race to sign Porto winger Christian Atsu.

Sky Sports revealed earlier this week an unnamed Premier League club had tabled a bid for Atsu and it is understood that Liverpool are the team in question.

Talks are thought to be continuing between the Reds and Porto as Brendan Rodgers' side look to win the race for the Ghana international.

However, Liverpool could face competition from Premier League rivals Everton and Arsenal for the highly-rated attacker.

Everton are thought be interested in Atsu especially if current Porto boss Vitor Pereira replaces David Moyes at Goodison Park, while Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the African's situation.

Atsu has found himself out of favour at Porto in recent months after refusing to sign a new deal at Estadio do Dragao.

The 21-year-old, who sees his current contract expire next summer, has continually rejected offers to extend his deal due to Porto's insistence to try and increase his release clause to €30m (£24million).

Atsu, who has previously expressed his desire to play in England, is expected to make a decision on his future once he plays for Ghana in their upcoming games against Kenya, Sudan and Lesotho next month.

Premier League Top 4 Finish 13/14 Top 4 Finish: Liverpool 6/4

2013-05-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler engage in mind games at weigh-in

Last Updated: May 24, 2013 2:24pm

Isaac Chilemba (L) gets chatty with Tony Bellew after both made the 12st 7lb limit (Pic leighdawneyphotography.com)

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Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler engaged in some pre-fight mind games as they weighed in for Saturday's Sky Sports Box Office clash.

Froch and Kessler were involved in a long exchange of words on the podium as they posed for the customary face-off before eventually shaking hands at the 02 Arena in London.

A large crowd packed into the fight venue and Kessler was greeted by a chorus of boos as he stepped onto the podium first, tipping the scales at 11st 12lb 7oz

Froch was roared on by his vocal support as he took to the stage and was also inside the super-middleweight limit at 11st 13lb 9oz.

Froch v Kessler II - The weigh-in

On the undercard, Tony Bellew weighed in at 12st 6lb 9oz ahead of his rematch with Isaac Chilemba, who was at 12st 6lb 4oz.

George Groves was also inside the super-middleweight limit at 11st 13lb 7oz with Noe Gonzalez at 11st 13lb.

Book the fight now

Carl Froch v Mikkel Kessler Fight Outcome: Carl Froch in Rnds 1-12 (any method) 9/4

THE RETURN OF DOMINIC ADIYIAH

2013-05-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has named a 25-man squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Sudan and Lesotho.

Dominic Adiyiah returns to the Black Stars as Appiah includes four home-based players for the two away matches.

Goalkeepers: Fatau Dauda (AshantiGold, Ghana), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals, Ghana), Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars, Ghana)

Full-backs: Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), Samuel Inkoom (Bastia, France), Kissi Boateng (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Baba Rahman (Greuther Furth, Germany)

Central Defenders: John Boye (Rennes, France), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Awal Mohammed (Maritzburg United, South Africa), Rashid Sumaila (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)

Defensive Midfielders: Rabiu Mohammed (Evian, France), Edwin Gyimah (SuperSport, South Africa) Isaac Coffie (Chievo Verona, Italy)

Right Midfielders: Albert Adomah (Bristol City, England), Solomon Asante (TP Mazembe, DR Congo)

Left Midfielders: Sulley Muntari (AC Milan, Italy) Mubarak Wakaso (Espanyol, Spain), Christian Atsu (Porto, Portugal)

Offensive Midfielder: Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus, Italy)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE), Dominic Adiyiah (Arsenal Kiev, Ukraine), Richard Boakye Yiadom (Sassuolo, Italy), Mahatma Otoo (Hearts of Oak, Ghana)

Source: Ghanafa.org

WEMBLEY WELCOMES THE GIANTS OF GERMAN FOOTBALL

2013-05-24T13:14:00.003-07:00

Wembley welcomed Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund as both teams arrived for training on the eve of the first all-German Champions League final.

After landing in London earlier in the day, both teams got a chance to have a look at England's national stadium, which will host European football's showpiece match for the second time in three years.

Dortmund return to the Champions League final for the first time since 1997 when they beat Juventus 3-1 with the help of Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, while Bayern hope to make amends and win their fifth title after the disappointment they suffered last year.

Visitor: Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp (left) at Wembley with Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, who won the Champions League with the German club in 1997

Deep discussion: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery at Wembley

The legendary German accuracy from the penalty spot suffered a malfunction 12 months ago when Bayern were beaten by Chelsea.

But Thomas Muller is not panicking about the prospect of more Champions League final shoot-out misery at Wembley.

Indeed, if today's performance in the pre-match media briefing is anything to go by, he is rather looking forward to it. 'What happened last year has nothing to do with self-confidence,' he said.

Tunnel walk: Bayern Munich players walk out onto the Wembley pitch for a training session

Footballing stars: Robben (left) and Ribery are just two of the big names at Wembley this weekend

'You never know who will be on pitch at that point and some players better at penalties than others, but no-one will be wetting their pants over it.'

The German invasion of Wembley does appear to mark a shift in the European balance of power.
Lauded as possibly the greatest club side ever for their performances over the previous four seasons, Barcelona were slaughtered by Bayern in the semi-final.

The four-times winners scored seven times without reply in a quite staggering two-legged display, even if Lionel Messi played through injury in the first encounter and sat out the second completely as Bayern romped to a 7-0 aggregate triumph.

Shooting boots: Robben (above) and Ribery (below) get their shooting in order ahead of the final

'Barcelona were extraordinary in what they have done over the last few years,' said Bayern skipper Philipp Lahm.

'They have won the Champions League on a couple of occasions and we felt they were the team we knew we had to beat if we were going to be successful this season.

'But we have developed by working together as a team. We have lots of attacking qualities and we didn't let them through our defence at all.'

Having a word: Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes speaks to his team during training

Jump: Mario Mandzukic heads the ball over Manuel Neuer

'It is difficult to know whether we can take the torch away from them, we shall have to see how it develops.

'But things are looking very positive for the future of the team. We have a great team, at the right age and we work well together.'

Press talk: Bayern's Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller (above) and Dortmund coach Klopp (below) speak during a press conference ahead of the final

Coach Jupp Heynckes reported a fully fit 21-man squad, which will allow Bayern to start favourites to lift their first European crown since 2001.

With the Bundesliga title already confirmed and a German Cup final against Stuttgart to follow next week, Heynckes' final season as a manager is threatening to leave new boss Pep Guardiola with a difficult act to follow.

The 68-year-old accepts his team are something special.

Coming through: Bayern Munich supporter Helmut Robers arrives at Wembley stadium on his bike

'We have achieved some extraordinary things,' he said 'Overall, our season has been the best in the Bundesliga from any team in 50 years.

'But we have the aspiration to carry on. We want to maintain our form tomorrow and in the German Cup Final.

'I am fortunate. I have won the Champions League before when I was at Real Madrid. For the players in our squad who are 28 and over, tomorrow could be the crowning moment of their entire careers.'

Running repair: Prolific Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski gets his boot fixed

Grappling: Kevin Groskreutz, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus warm up for training

Though Bayern have not beaten Dortmund in six meetings since February 2010, they start overwhelming favourites given the manner in which they have transferred their imperious domestic form onto the European stage.

Muller acknowledges the side Bayern wrested the Bundesliga title from have plenty of quality despite the absence of Bayern-bound Mario Gotze.

However, he is adamant his side are the stronger.

'Borussia are a complete team,' he said. 'That is harder to deal with than a group of individual players, even though their individuals are also very good.

Fun stuff: Klopp shares a laugh with Jakub Blaszczykowski (above), before having a word with his players

'But I don't have believe we have any weaknesses.

'We have played a lot of games, scored a great deal of goals and not conceded many.

'I have a really good feeling about tomorrow.'

Focused: Lewandowski (above) and Reus (below) prepare for Dortmund's first Champions League final since 1997 when the club beat Juventus 3-1

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2013-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Egypt and Ghana set for AYC final showdown

03-29-2013

Zoom

Egypt and Ghana will play in the final of the 2013 Orange CAF U-20 Championship on Saturday at Ahmed Zabana stadium in Oran, Algeria. The Young Pharaohs go into the match as favourites after notching four straight wins including an opening 2-1 victory over same opponents, Ghana two weeks ago.

Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh was at pains dispelling the suggestions that the Black Satellites will be seeking revenge. “ It worries me when l hear such talk about being motivated by revenge, and wanting to get back at Egypt for that loss in the first game. That match is in the past and our approach to the final is not based on a need to even things or any such intention. We are in a final and will play to win, regardless of what has happened before. “ said Tetteh

Tetteh’s counterpart, Rabie Yassine said he would be expecting a challenging encounter with Ghana but he too will not be dwelling on the result from their last meeting. “First of all, we have a lot of respect for Ghana and their football but we are ready to face them on Saturday and l have been working on my team and concentrating on what we need to do to win. We want to make our own history, we have our destiny in our own hands and I believe we can win this tournament. We are capable, we have what it takes to win,” Yassine said.

When the sides met last time Ghana created more scoring chances but Egypt were more efficient with theirs and thus carried the day. According to coach Yassine his side will strike a balance between offensive and defensive play but will definitely take the game to the opposition and continue with the style and combinations that has served the side well so far. “We have done our homework on Ghana and hopefully my boys will again execute the game plan the coaching staff will set like they have done so well so far. We will play our football on the pitch and yes after the match l will say more too and by then God willing l will talking as a winner then” concluded Yassine

Both coaches are hoping a have a clean bill of health but admitted they have some waiting to do on some key players currently nursing injuries. The Egyptian captain Rami Rabea will have to pass a late fitness test on his injured ankle but coach Yassine is hopeful he will have his captain on the field. Rabea scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against the host nation, Algeria and has been a vital cog in Egyptian side. Meanwhile coach Tetteh is hoping that Derrick Mensah will recover in time to be considered for selection.

Sellas Tetteh famously engineered Ghana U-20’s finest year in 2009 leading the side to the African Youth Championship in Rwanda before Ghana won the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Egypt in 2009 to become the first African side to do so. “By God’s grace we shall see how the final goes but l believe this one is for us, they had theirs in the first game. We have come very far and we are looking forward to this match. These boys do need any more motivation than being in the final. That alone is self-motivation enough to have made it this far , so we are going to work very hard to overcome and we are in high spirits, so God willing we shall be victorious." Tetteh said

Both Ghana and Egypt currently have three African U-20 Championship titles each so the winner will move onto four (4) which is tow behind record holders Nigeria with six. The final match will be played at Ahmed Zabana stadium in Oran, Algeria and kick off is 17h30 local time

2013-03-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

COMING SOON CULT SOCCER, COMING SOON CULT SOCCER WATCH OUT FROM GRASS ROOT TALENTS IN TEMA ASHIAMAN ETC.......................................

rooney was in daze at old trafford

2013-03-07T04:44:00.001-08:00

Rooney was in a daze at Old Trafford but he'll be ready to prove Fergie wrong... don't be surprised if he makes Chelsea suffer

By JAMIE REDKNAPP

PUBLISHED: 11:51 GMT, 7 March 2013 | UPDATED: 12:34 GMT, 7 March 2013

This goes one of two ways. Wayne Rooney could be back in the Manchester United team on Sunday and who would be against him scoring the winner against Chelsea?

But this summer, with two years left on his contract, it will either result in a new deal – or an extraordinary transfer out of Old Trafford. We won’t have to wait long to find out the ending to
this film.

This is not Arsenal. Manchester United do not run their business the same way and will not allow
one of their most marketable assets to drift towards the end of his contract and the risk of a lucrative free transfer.

Snubbed: Wayne Rooney started on the bench as Manchester United lost to Real Madrid at Old Trafford

They will tie him to a longer contract, or sell him to the highest bidder. And there will be no shortage of takers if they press the eject button.

His recent goal record is 12 in 16 games – which is not exceptional but not bad and he scored against Norwich at the weekend. He didn’t find out he wasn’t playing until shortly before kick-off and was surprised and naturally hurt.

How does he react to that? He is a player with supreme gifts, capable of the sensational. I’m told he is in the mood to prove people wrong and to show there is plenty left in the tank. Sunday would be a good day to start.

It happens to every footballer when you have to look at yourself and ask questions: Am I working hard enough, am I living my life the right way, what more can I do to prove to the manager I should be in the team? You may want to blame someone else, but you eventually have to take responsibility yourself.

Late arrival: Rooney came on for Tom Cleverley in the 73rd minute on Tuesday

He may have arrived in training this morning with the thought: ‘I am going to prove you wrong, boss’.

He will need to work on repairing the damage to his relationship with Sir Alex, caused by the decision to leave him out.

It will have bruised his ego to see Cristiano Ronaldo, once his team-mate and a player who shared the same stage, dominate Champions League last-16 tie with one goal in the first leg and the match winner in the second.

Paranoia will be creeping through him now: ‘The manager doesn’t fancy me, he didn’t pick me for the biggest game of the season’. And he will be hurt that United are out and he could do little about it, no going back. He looked in a daze at the end of the game.

When we saw Wayne playing in a defensive right sided role in the first leg Madrid, it was suggested he was ‘doing it for the team’. I watched him closely… and that’s not for him. He won’t have enjoyed that.

Contrasting fortunes: Rooney suffered as former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner (below)

He’s a creator, a goalscorer and – yes, he can put in a shift – but Rooney in a boiler suit when he should be on the red carpet, front of house?

Leaving may be good business for both parties and may suit everyone. He’s 28 in October and this represents a chance for Manchester United to extract a big transfer fee.

Wayne is still a fantastic footballer and I see a stampede of clubs to his door. Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG, AC Milan, Juventus… why not?

Sir Alex is due to speak on Friday and it will be fascinating to hear what he has to say about the decision to drop Wayne. I will be very surprised if we don’t hear him say: ‘He plays against Chelsea, it is business as usual’. And then we will all see what sort of form and mood Rooney is in.

Talented players have the tools to create the best answer to anyone who doubts them. Rooney is a talent and it will be fascinating to see what happens next.

P.S. His future is up in the air but Rooney is having one of his best seasons yet

Wayne Rooney was dropped for Manchester United's clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday but as our stats show, the striker is on course to enjoy his second most successful season with the club.

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2012-11-09T09:55:00.003-08:00

About IMANI Center for Policy & Education

IMANI, founded in 2004, is an African based nonprofit, non-government organization dedicated to educating society on the benefits of a free economy and fostering public awareness of important policy issues concerning business, government and civil society. Through seminars, publications and articles, IMANI and its international partners seek to promote enlightened inquiry based on sound values and scholarship. IMANI is headquartered in Accra, the capital of the country of Ghana in Africa. International network partnerships include Instituto Bruno Leoni ( Milan, Italy), The Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.), International Policy Network (London, England), Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, Nigeria, Atlas Center for Economic Research (Washington, D.C.), among many others.

Letter from Franklin

Dear IMANI Friends & Partners,
Ideas, they say, are everywhere but knowledge is rare. An authentication process is needed in order to certify that ideas put forward do not breed unintended consequences. The world has learned rather painfully through two world wars how bad ideas ended freedom in the free world. Many Western countries have since labored to build stronger institutions that promoted progress. We in Africa are still experimenting ideas that failed others in the past. And the results are not farfetched; today average per capita incomes in rich countries are fifty times that of Sub-Saharan African countries. Despite some shining examples in Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius, over 40 African countries continue to invest illogical business regulations, corrupt, bloated and inefficient bureaucracies, scant respect for contracts, and absence of property rights and worrying deficits of free and competitive markets within Africa.
Our institutions of learning are fast losing their credibility as knowledge factories and the results have been ill-equipped graduates unable to grasp the workings of a free enterprise. There cannot be a spontaneous reaction to put off the challenges posed by decades of misrule unless we begin to invest in what Economist Frederic Hayek calls second hand dealers in ideas. The task is arduous but we at IMANI are committed to it.
Our seminars, programs and leadership initiatives offer a chance for restorative reflection on the meaning of free enterprise, leadership, and sound public policy based on non-partisan principles.
Our core mission is to research economic trends for the benefit of government, business and civil society. For that, we have been the sole double recipient in Africa of the John Templeton Prize awarded in recognition of excellence in public advocacy in support of the building of institutions in a free society. We are known for specific and rigorous application of free-market solutions to an array of complex social problems.
Through seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, IMANI and its international partners seek to promote non-partisan inquiry and an appreciation for open societies.
With your support, we can help Africans learn the keys to building successful economies and responsible leadership.
Franklin Cudjoe
Executive Director, IMANI

2012-10-04T09:11:00.001-07:00

Wakaso gets call upBlack Stars

Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah has named a 21-man Ghana squad which includes two fresh call-ups for the return fixture against Malawi in the qualifying for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Espanyol's Mubarak Wakaso and Asante Kotoko midfielder Daniel Nii Adjei have both been handed their first senior invitations for the game in Lilongwe on 13th October.

A host of stars make a return to the squad as Ghana seeks to qualify for next year's finals in South Africa after winning the first leg 2-0 at home last month.

John Paintsil leads the quintet of players making a return to the squad after his last outing for the national team came in March this year. Also returning to the Black Stars are David Addy, Jonathan Mensah, Rabiu Mohammed and goalkeeper Philemon McCarthy.

Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey (Stromgodset, Norway), Philemon McCarthy (Hearts of Oak), Fatau Dauda (AshantiGold)

Defenders: John Paintsil (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), David Addy (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal), John Boye (Rennes, France), Isaac Vorsah (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Jonathan Mensah (Evian Thonon Gaillard, France).

Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Osasuna, Spain), Daniel Nii Adjei (Asante Kotoko), Mubarak Wakaso (Espanyol, Spain), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus, Italy), Christian Atsu (Porto, Portugal), Solomon Asante (Berekum Chelsea), Andre Ayew (Marseille, France), Rabiu Mohammed (Evian, France)

Strikers: Emmanuel Clottey (Esperance, Tunisia), Abdul Majeed Warris (Hacken, Sweden), Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE).

Source: Ghanafa.org

OHHH BOLT HAS DONE IT AGAIN

2012-08-06T14:41:00.002-07:00

Bolt moves one step closer to legend with Olympic record-breaking run

If only he could start. If only he did not party until 5am. If only he was not 95 per cent fit. If only he did not guzzle chicken nuggets.
Just think how good Usain Bolt could be.
But, really, what a performance we witnessed as the world’s most elusive man returned to being the world’s fastest man.
The questions had assailed him across the year and across the globe. He pulled out of competitions, he was in a car crash, he visited his doctor in Germany for magic potions to soothe his back-related injuries, he did not race his training partner and chief rival Yohan Blake other than when he had to — at the Jamaican trials — where he lost.

Close call: Usain Bolt did not run away with the race as he had done four years ago in Beijing, with Blake, Gatlin and Gay all running super quick times

Here he was back to something approaching his best. His time of 9.63sec was faster than he ran in Beijing four years ago (9.69sec), when his superiority was so great that he launched a mid-race chest-thumping celebration that beguiled the world, if not the IOC president, who thought it disrespectful.
On Sunday he pushed all the way. Yes, he had strolled to the final. But once he got to the start of the big one — 9.50pm London time — he left nothing to chance.
His start was not brilliant but his technique held together. His face told of total application and, given all Bolt’s natural long-striding gifts, it was enough.
‘You guys doubted me and I’ve shown the world that I am the greatest,’ he said. ‘The last 50 metres is where I shine, so I just did that.

‘I’m not concerned by what people have said. I’ve said it from the start: people can talk. All they can do is talk. When it comes to the championships, it’s all about business to me — and I brought it home.’
Bolt’s victory was precisely the result that athletics needed. He is the star turn, the cavorting highwire act who reaches out to all ages and colours.

Simply the best: Bolt still crossed the line with daylight between him and the rest

With respect to Blake, the silver medallist, he does not possess the magnetism of Bolt.

As for Justin Gatlin, the bronze medallist, a victory for him would have represented a desperately low point in these celebratory Games given his drug-taking habits.

As everyone left the stadium yesterday — other than us scribblers and a group who hung on to cheer Bolt’s name — our great former decathlete Daley Thompson’s voice spoke out, encouraging parents to help their kids take up sport.

It is that near-exhausted word ‘legacy’ that Thompson was addressing. What happens in this stadium will beget the next generation of our athletes. And no single foot racer can do more worldwide towards that ideal than the gallivanting hero of last night.

Yes, it will take schools and clubs to make themselves available to accommodate newcomers to their ranks, but the first requirement is for kids to be inspired by Bolt and his ilk.

We all cherish our Olympic memories from childhood and are thankful for the nourishment, health-wise and culturally, that they have given us.
The one hope, which Bolt has addressed, is that athletics would wither if he fell under suspicion of drug-taking. He has never failed a test and until he does, should it ever come, we must celebrate him as a beacon of hope for sport.

Trademark: Bolt strikes his usual pose for the cameras after winning the 100m final in London

Mummy's boy: The sprinter's mother Jennifer and silver medallist Blake join the celebrations

That sentiment chimes with the feelgood mood of these Games. You go on to a Tube and people speak to each other. Yes, on the London Underground with its tradition of blank faces and averted stares. The stadium roar registers high on the decibel scale.

It reached its zenith on Saturday night with the cacophony that cheered on Mo Farah to his 10,000m win, just after Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis had started the athletics gold rush.

In terms of electrifying capacity, last night’s race may not have equalled Ben Johnson’s epoch-making run in Seoul in 1988, before the race was discredited as the most infamously dirty track deed of all time, or of Bolt’s Beijing pyrotechnics.

It was though, still the fastest race ever, Olympic or otherwise. Seven of the finalists went under 10sec, with only Asafa Powell, who pulled up, spoiling the single-figure neatness.

‘It was wonderful,’ said Bolt of the atmosphere. ‘I knew it was going to be like this. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that it was going to be loud and it was going to be great. You can feel that energy, so I feel extremely good and I’m happy.

‘This win means I’m one step closer to being a legend. I have the 200m to go.’

As everyone in the stadium recognised, his status as the presiding genius of the sprinting world is not in doubt. He just had to show up and prove the point in the blink of an eye.

2012-07-02T09:58:00.001-07:00

Wimbledon sex row... it's 50 Shades of Grey

Andy Murray's best point of Wimbledon’s first week was not made against a tricky opponent. It did not even take place on Centre Court or in front of a large audience.
Murray’s admirable return came in the environs of the main interview room at Wimbledon’s press centre following his four set victory over Ivo Karlovic. He had already ridden the foot fault controversy and the issue of whether the tournament’s line judges were biased in his favour when Gilles Simon’s comments about equal pay were raised: specifically his statement that the entire men’s tour objected to women being paid the same at Grand Slam events.
‘Gilles Simon has kicked off a bit of a debate about equal pay,’ began a voice from the comfortable seats. ‘He said all the men in the locker room agree with him that it’s not right. Would you say that’s true?’

Fair? Serena Williams has success in the singles and the doubles with sister Venus (below)

More from Martin Samuel...

The question sounded innocuous enough but Murray has been here before. A throwaway line about Anglo-Scottish rivalry in 2006, made in response to some ribbing from Tim Henman about Scotland’s World Cup fortunes, has taken him six years to live down. Some very reasonable uncertainty about protocol turned into a row over whether he would bow to the Queen. One wrong word and he would be Murray the misogynist for a decade at least. The only man in Britain who stands against equality for women. It was a question that needed to be left like an over-hit forehand. Murray instead took it on the volley and survived.

He did not sell out the men’s locker room or Simon, who is by all accounts a more thoughtful figure than he has been painted and is newly elected to the Players’ Council for that reason. Nor did he give an answer that would understandably infuriate at least half the population. What Murray said merely raised a very interesting point.

‘There are a lot of things the guys do agree on,’ he replied. ‘For example, at the French Open, Sara Errani made the final in singles and won the doubles. Because it’s not best of five sets for women, it’s much easier to play both, so they have more chance to make money. There are very few guys that have a realistic shot of winning the singles event at Roland Garros who will be playing doubles there, too. Same thing at Wimbledon. It’s five set singles, five set doubles, so fewer guys play. It’s not always about equal pay. It’s about the way the men’s and women’s tournaments differ.’

Never thought of it like that. Never even considered it. Suddenly an issue that seemed so black and white in the modern age had 50 shades of grey. So is Murray right? Are men now financially disadvantaged at Grand Slam tournaments? Put it like this. The last man to make an appearance in both singles and doubles finals at a Grand Slam event was Yevgeny Kafelnikov at the French Open in 1996. And how many times have women done it since then? Twenty eight.

Return shot: Maria Sharapova slammed Gilles Simon's comments

There have been 10 dual singles and doubles finalists at the Australian Open, 10 at Wimbledon, four at the French Open and four at the US Open. The last was in June, when Errani of Italy lost to Maria Sharapova in the French Open final but clinched the doubles title with her partner Roberta Vinci.

She made history of a different sort at Wimbledon on Saturday, becoming the first player to lose a Grand Slam set without winning a single point. The match having lasted 57 minutes, her opponent, Yaroslava Shvedova, then went off to play a mixed doubles match. She is also in the last 16 of the women’s doubles competition.

How many of the last 16 at Wimbledon are also involved in men’s doubles competition? Two. Xavier Malisse of Belgium and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. And Murray is right: neither will be getting their hopes up in the singles.

There was a time when men could play twice and remain competitive but not any more. The physical demands of singles tennis are too great these days. The men’s third round contained eight sets that lasted longer than Shvedova’s entire match against Errani and nine more that were within five minutes of it. The longest set went on for two hours and seven minutes. The five sets of the match between Marin Cilic and Sam Querrey were timed at 55, 39, 54, 56 and 127 minutes. Unsurprisingly, neither is bothering with the men’s doubles this year.

It was an Eighties thing, the two-pronged assault. With the exception of Kafelnikov at Roland Garros in 1996, the last man to reach the singles and doubles final at a Grand Slam did so when Bananarama were going strong. Wisely, Murray did not enter the equal pay debate but a sub- section of it, and the statistics to back his argument are below.

The last man to reach twin singles and doubles finals at the Australian Open was Stefan Edberg in 1987. Since when, in the women’s event, this has been done by Serena Williams (2010, 2009), Lindsay Davenport (2005), Venus and Serena Williams (2003), Martina Hingis (2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997), Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1995), Mary Joe Fernandez (1992, 1990), Jana Novotna (1991), Chris Evert (1988) and Martina Navratilova (1987). Total: 16.

Kafelnikov we know. Since his feat in 1996, Errani (2012), Kim Clijsters (2003), Mary Pierce (2000) and Hingis (1999) have all trod an equally admirable path for the women.

Eighties thing: The last man to reach twin singles and doubles finals at the Australian Open was Stefan Edberg

A Wimbledon men’s double dates back to John McEnroe’s win over Jimmy Connors in 1984 and his magnificent doubles partnership with Peter Fleming. So that is 27 years and counting, during which time Vera Zvonareva (2010), Venus and Serena Williams (2009, 2008, 2002), Venus Williams (2000), Davenport (1999), Novotna (1998), Sanchez Vicario (1995), Novotna (1993), Steffi Graf (1988), Navratilova (1986, 1985, 1984) and Hana Mandlikova (1986) have replicated his achievement. So, 17 occasions.

The longest standing men’s record of all is McEnroe’s again, at the US Open in 1981 (OK, so technically Bananarama did not have a hit until 1982 but their first single Aie a Mwana was released earlier). And since then Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004), Serena Williams (1999), Davenport and Hingis (1998), Sanchez Vicario (1994), Helena Sukova (1993) and Navratilova (1989, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983) have emulated him. That’s 11. And yes, one name is skewing the figures but that’s what genius does.

Across the various tournaments 17 different female players have achieved what no man has done. So either the women’s game is full of brilliant, incisive tennis — and at times it is, no dispute there — and the men are all inconsistent lightweights or the difference between playing best of three sets and best of five is so great that the physical challenge barely compares.

Sports scientists say that men’s tennis is probably the toughest sport to prepare for because it is so furiously energetic and draining yet elastic in time. When Cilic and Querrey walked on to Court No 2, they did not know that they were in for a match lasting five hours and 31 minutes. It could all have been over in 90 minutes. Yet tennis players must always prepare for the endurance test. No point in gambling that it will finish soon, even against a lesser opponent, as Roger Federer discovered. No men’s third round match produced a set that ended 6-0; yet there were four in the women’s event. The women’s third round contained eight tiebreak sets, as opposed to 14 in the men’s.
This is not to say that men’s tennis is simply superior, which is what Simon appeared to suggest clumsily, but it is certainly demanding in a way that limits the scope for success at a Grand Slam tournament.

Having his say: Murray raised the point that men can be financially disadvantaged heading into tournaments

In 2008 at Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal and Federer played one of the most magnificent finals of modern times. It went to five sets, the last of which Nadal won 9-7, and included two tiebreaks in a match lasting 288 minutes. He received £750,000. The same year Venus Williams beat her sister, Serena, in straight sets. She received £750,000, too. The pair then defeated Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-2 in the women’s doubles and split an additional £230,000. That match lasted 59 minutes.

The following year Federer defeated Andy Roddick in another five-set match that broke the record for the number of games in a men’s final, 77. The final set was won 16-14 and Federer received £850,000. Meanwhile, Serena defeated Venus in straight sets and was paid the same as Federer. The sisters then won the doubles in straight sets and shared £230,000. Both finals combined entailed 44 games.

And there is Murray’s point: 43 per cent less work for 13.5 per cent more pay. It does not apply on tour, when men and women play three-set matches just the same, but at Grand Slam events the calculations change.

‘I don’t deserve less because I have boobs and they don’t,’ said Serena Williams on Saturday. She had just entertained Centre Court with a quite brilliant match against Jie Zheng, of China, lasting 148 minutes but was still going off to play doubles with her sister later that day, although dark closed in and they didn’t get on court.

‘I have worked just as hard since I was three,’ she added. ‘My whole life has been dedicated toward being a top athlete and I shouldn’t get paid less because of my sex.’

And that was certainly the correct starting point for the equal pay movement.

It is also true. Whatever the circumstances, it seems outrageous in modern society even to consider alternate pay structures for men and women. And yet, as Murray pointed out, statistically the distinctions are undeniable.

What is the solution? There isn’t one without making men’s doubles a three-set affair; and no Grand Slam organiser is going to run through that minefield. For now, the men will have to continue grumbling in their locker rooms and just accept that, in tennis at least, it truly is different for girls.

Read between the lines to see Carra's real point

Steven Gerrard has been upset by criticism of England’s European Championship performance by his friend Jamie Carragher.
‘Should we give up?’ Gerrard asked. ‘Should we not go to Brazil in 2014 because of what Jamie Carragher said?’
Yet it is what Carragher hasn’t said that is most interesting. Read between the lines of this observation, for instance.

Read between the lines: England captain Steven Gerrard reacted to comments made by Jamie Carragher

‘There is contradiction at the top. We want a more attractive, passing game but the Football Association appointed a head coach with very clear tactical ideas based on counterattacking football. I hear many say it needs to evolve in the World Cup qualifiers. The tactics will not change and it would be unfair to criticise Roy Hodgson for that. Everyone knows his methods.’
You see it too, don’t you? You see what he’s saying. It’s not just me, is it?

Fabio's entitled to Rooney rant, Roy...

Fabio Capello's criticism of Wayne Rooney has drawn condemnation, not least from England manager Roy Hodgson.
‘Capello can hardly talk’ is the popular opinion, having got so little out of the player himself. Another case of short memory syndrome affecting English football.

Under-fire: Former England boss Fabio Capello condemned Wayne Rooney's Euro 2012 displays

Reaching the World Cup in 2010, Wayne Rooney was the leading goalscorer in European qualification with nine in 10 games for England.
He was dismal in the tournament proper but it still means Capello did more with Rooney over a sustained period than any previous England manager and is entitled to an opinion.

Pearce can't win

Stuart Pearce having shot Bambi, it is now open season on the Team GB football coach.
In some quarters he is accused of not giving his players enough time to prepare, in others of wasting money on team bonding gatherings at Champneys Springs health spa in Leicestershire and a Spanish training camp.
Why do they need these lavish trips, it is asked. Perhaps because, unlike just about every other Team GB squad, Pearce’s players will not be greatly familiar with each other and will need to be fast-tracked into coming together as a coherent unit.

Isn’t that obvious? Just because Pearce hasn’t picked David Beckham does not mean we can abandon rational thought.

Platini's vodka shot

Grand design: UEFA president Michel Platini

Michel Platini says he has drunk a lot of vodka in Ukraine, and some are mockingly connecting this revelation with his plan to stage the 2020 European Championship in anything from 12 to 32 different countries (depending from which part of the press conference you select his answer, because numbers fluctuated quite alarmingly, almost as if he was making it up as he went along).
Sadly, Platini does not need a bottle of Pyotr Smirnov’s finest to come up with a bad idea: he’s had 10 of those before breakfast most mornings.
This latest one is a damage limitation exercise, caused by the brainless announcement that he would be supporting Turkey as Euro 2020 hosts, made two days after the bidding process opened.
As Istanbul is also angling for the Olympics that year, UEFA suddenly realised Turkey would not be the best candidate. Too late, the damage was done: as the president’s mind had already been made up, every viable rival to the Turkish bid bailed, leaving Georgia and Azerbaijan as the only game in town.
So now the European Championship may be hawked across a continent at who knows what cost to the travelling fan.
Platini is pretending this is a grand design. It is nothing of the sort. It is a desperate face-saving exercise because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

No more late escapes

One moment Marcos Baghdatis was causing Andy Murray serious problems, the next he was obligingly going down 6-1 in the fourth set to meet a specious 11pm deadline for close of play at Wimbledon.
It was almost as if he was railroaded into ending resistance. This should not be allowed to happen
again. If Wimbledon wants to play late it should do so without deadlines.

Time's up: Murray managed a late escape against Baghdatis - three minutes after play should have finished

MARIO CRIES FOR THIRD TIME

2012-07-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

'You gave me the best news of the world': Mario Balotelli is delighted as Raffaella Fico confirms unborn child is his

He may have been crying tears of sadness after his country lost to Spain last night but, Mario Balotelli already received some consolation before the game had been played.
The Italy striker's ex-girlfriend Raffaella Fico had told him ahead of the semi-final match against Germany, that she was pregnant with his child.
The 24-year-old model has confirmed that the baby she is having belongs to the footballer dubbed Super Mario.

The daddy: Mario Balotelli is reportedly happy after being told Raffaella Fico is expecting his child

Speaking to Italian website Sport Mediaset, she said: 'I called the day before the game against Germany and I said, I'm expecting a baby, it's your baby.
'After a pause he said 'You gave me the best news of the world.''
Raffaella was surprised when she discovered that she was pregnant in the middle of May, because she ended her relationship with Mario on 29 April.
She kept the good news to herself after taking a test but eventually revealed the pregnancy to some of her family.

Baby bump: Mario's ex-girlfriend Raffaella Fico showed off her bump last week, in Rome

She told the website: 'I went to a pharmacy outside Milan to buy a pregnancy test and I found I was pregnant. But I only told my mother and my brother.'
Rafaella now claims that a delighted Mario, 21, is eager to commit to her and rebuild their failed relationship.
She said that he never stopped loving her and he always wanted to have a son with her and even get married.

Baby Mario: Fico told the striker ahead of the Italy versus Germany semi-final

She said: 'Last Christmas, he told me, 'let's get married and make a son', and I accepted.'
Unfortunately the couple broke up after his numerous alleged affairs, but Fico, who was spotted showing off her bump last week in Rome, is certain things will be different this time.
She insists that she does not need money and never intended to trap a rich footballer, however, her offspring will bring plenty of pride to Balotelli, who stormed off the pitch after last night's defeat.

As they were: Mario and Raffaella dated for a year until they broke up two months ago

Raffaella, who has appeared on Italy's Big Brother and previously dated Cristiano Ronaldo, added that although the sex of the baby is unknown, Mario will choose the name.
She started dating the Man City player at the start of last year but he was accused of meeting former escort Jennifer Thompson - who had advertised herself as a £1,200-a-night call girl under the name 'Juicy Jeni' and previously enjoyed a fling with Wayne Rooney - five times and had sex with her twice behind Miss Fico’s back.
Last night the footballer was crying uncontrollably and pushed an official out of the way as he left the pitch following Italy's four goal thrashing.
The bad sportsman was eventually coaxed back on to the field but stayed alone on the pitch as he sat and contemplated the defeat.
Representatives for Balotelli and Fico have been contacted by the MailOnline for comment about the baby reports.

stars in tamale for peace game

2012-07-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Football Stars Light Up Tamale Township In Peace Initiative

The Tamale kids just can't get enough of Stephen Appiah

By Ameenu Shardow
Ghana’s football icons were mobbed by men, women and children upon arrival in Tamale on Monday morning where they will be playing a charity game to promote peace.
An impressive array of current and former players including; John Boye, Ben Acheampong, Stephen Baidoo, Augustine Ahinful, Yaw Preko, Laryea Kingston, Eric Addo, Kwame Ayew, Mahatma Otoo amongst others were shown abundant love by the natives who got a rare chance of coming face to face with their idols.

Laryea Kingston signs autograph for football crazy kids upon arrival in Tamale

The stars are in the Northern Region to commence a nationwide campaign by the Professional Footballers Association in conjunction with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to create awareness of the need for peace ahead of the general elections on December 7.
They will be interacting with the locals to drum home the message of peace before taking to the field to an expected packed crowd at the Tamale Sports Stadium later in the day.

John Boye takes his turn with the autograph session

The stars were driven straight from the airport to the Dakpema Palace where they paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Tamale to present themselves and also to announce their mission in his state while requesting his blessings for all the other activities to follow – one the Chief was happy to oblige.

The Tamale Chief in the company of his elders

“I want to thank you for coming into this town with such a laudable mission,” he said.
“You have all the support of the people here and I wish you well in all future activities of this campaign.”
The peace campaign dubbed ‘ONE GHANA….. GOALS FOR PEACE’ falls in line with efforts being made by individuals and societal groups to promote peace and the need for it ahead of Ghana’s general elections on December 7.

sensation papiis damba cisse

2012-05-03T10:05:00.005-07:00

Goal of the season? Watch Cisse's wonder strike against Chelsea

Papiss Cisse's breathtaking brace against Chelsea kept Newcastle in the hunt to qualify for the Champions League.
Cisse scored arguably the best double Stamford Bridge has ever witnessed in the Magpies' 2-0 victory at Chelsea on Wednesday night, keeping them level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham.
Cisse's first goal last night was outstanding but football fans around the world will be watching his second for years, such was the jaw-dropping nature of the strike.

Scroll down to watch Cisse's wonder goals

Papiss of cake: Free-scoring Newcastle striker Cisse celebrated two wonder goals at Stamford Bridge

The 26-year-old's 25-yard banana volley with the outside of his right foot brought back memories of Roberto Carlos' free-kick for Brazil against France 15 years ago.
Pardew said: 'An astonishing goal.
'Cisse took a chance. You could see he meant it and he's hit it absolutely true.'
Senegal star Cisse told Sky Sports News in an interview translated by strike partner Demba Ba that he went for goal because he was so tired.
He said: 'I just saw the ball coming back from Shola (Ameobi) and I just wanted to shoot as I had no power, so I just shot.'

2012-05-01T11:04:00.002-07:00

Wenger eyes Vertonghen move after hailing arrival of £11m striker Podolski

Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Jan Vertonghen after finally confirming their £11million deal for Lukas Podolski.
Sportsmail revealed Arsenal's interest in Podolski in December and the Gunners announced one of the worst kept secrets in football on Monday, revealing the Germany star will join from Cologne ahead of next season.
And Arsenal are preparing for their next transfer splurge by taking steps to land central defender Vertonghen after opening talks with Ajax.

Now it's for real: Podolski in Arsenal shirt after last summer's friendly

Vertonghen is entering the final year of his contract and Arsenal feel they can land the 25-year-old for as little as £7m, despite interest from Newcastle, Tottenham and Chelsea.
Manager Arsene Wenger hopes Vertonghen will form part of a new-look defensive pool next season, with Sebastien Squillaci and Johan Djourou available for transfers away from the Emirates this summer.

Jan the man: Vertonghen is next on Wenger's list of new signings

Eye on the ball: Lukas Podolski (left) will join Arsenal in the summer

Podolski's signing and the move to tie up an early deal for Vertonghen is a far cry from last summer when Wenger was forced into a flurry of late deals during the closing stages of the transfer window.
'I'm so happy to be joining Arsenal and to play in the Premier League,' Podolski said. 'Arsenal are one of the top clubs in Europe with a huge history. There are many top quality players and the style of football is fantastic.'
Wenger added: 'Podolski is an important part of our future.
'He is a top-class player, a very good finisher and a proven performer at club and international level.'

Barca defender Abidal on the road to recovery after liver transplant

Barcelona have announced that defender Eric Abidal is recovering well after a liver transplant, although at the wishes of his family there will be no official statement on the success of the procedure for the time being.
The France international underwent a lengthy operation on Tuesday which finished at about midnight, just after Barca's 4-0 La Liga victory at home to Getafe during which the whole stadium chanted Abidal's name and applauded the full-back.

Recovering well: Abidal (centre)

'Today could be a great one all round, because we know that Abidal and his cousin (Gerard, the donor) are recovering well after the operation,' Barca president Sandro Rosell said on Wednesday.
'I can't say anything more than this because the family have specifically asked us not to say any more.'
Barca dedicated the victory over Getafe to Abidal. A brace from Alexis Sanchez and further goals from Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez put further pressure on stuttering Real Madrid, who face local rivals Atletico this evening (Wednesday).
Boss Pep Guardiola said in his post-match press conference: 'We want to dedicate this win to Abidal. It's a special day because we knew that today he underwent his operation.
'We've been told that Abidal's operation has finished, which has been long and we need to be patient. Throughout the week we will know more. The next few days will be key to see how things are going. We have a lot of faith in someone as strong as him.'
Abidal's Barca team mate, Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets, wished him all the best when he spoke at a news conference on Wednesday.
'The operation is over and the next few hours are very important,' he said. 'In two or three days we'll see how it is all going.

Message of support: A Barca fan holds a placard up for Abidal on Tuesday night

'From here I went to send him all the very best, as everyone else has been doing.'
Abidal had surgery to remove a tumour from his liver last March before making a triumphant and emotional return to lift the Champions League trophy at Wembley just two months later.
Last month, the club announced that Abidal would need a transplant but did not state how long he would be out of action.

When You Come Back (ITV World Cup theme version) - Vusi Mahlasela

2012-04-04T06:48:00.001-07:00

20 dos and donts of a functional relationship

2012-03-07T13:36:00.002-08:00

1. Who you think you are is important. Like attracts like. Think about it. Do you like who you are?
2. What you want in a relationship is important, and when you are willing to ask for it, you will be able to create it. But only ask for what you want when you are clear about what it is. Until then, don�t go around demanding things you just think you should have.
3. We get exactly what we focus on. The problem or the solution. We make a choice between them with every decision we make.
4. Tell yourself the truth about what you want, not what others (family, friends, spouse) say you should have.
5. Tell everyone else your truth about what you want. Don�t be afraid to share your vision and dreams with those you love.
6. You are not defined by your relationships unless you choose to be. Consider what it says about you if you deed over you soul to one (partner/relationship).
7. Interdependent (two independent functional people) relationships are the only ones that work, long term. (Not dependant or co-dependant)
8. Truth is the first thing necessary to create trust in our relationships. Respect is earned from trust, and love is earned from respect. Intimacy is the gift we get when we risk telling the truth. * See the hierarchy of a functional relationship
9. Fear of intimacy is fear of the truth. Your truth is better for you than someone else's. Just get to know what it is, so you can finally own it, and speak it.
10. If your relationship is not getting better, it is probable getting worse. Life is dynamic and nothing ever stays the same.
11. Every relationship is unique. It takes what it takes to work. If you want it to work, you have to work it. No shortcuts. No 50/50 deals.
12. It is not your job to fix your mate, and it is not his or her job to fix you. Take this relationship and what your mate says at face value and stop reading into it what you�d like to hear. We can work with what�s real. It is impossible to deal with what�s not real.
13. Unconditional love is an inside job. If you haven�t gotten it by now, guess what...start working from within. When you can give it to yourself, you will be ready to give it to someone else. If you can give it to someone else, you will recognize it when it is being given to you. Joy can only be experienced in the present moment.
14. If you both are committed to creating a functional relationship, agree to start doing it today, without any judgments about the past. Be willing to work in the solution and let go of your need to control the outcome, moment to moment, one day at a time
15. Most of our fears about what may happen in this relationship are really fears we experienced in past relationships, and have nothing to do with this person. Come to grips with what's real and what's Memorex! .
16. When in an argument, ask yourself Does this really PASS THE SO WHAT TEST? For you to be right does the other person have to be wrong? Think about it. Life is short. Do not waste it on arguments that have no meaning or purpose. You can always agree to disagree if you need to. Then laugh about it, and go on to the next thing. Start observing your need to argue as just another dysfunctional, immature habit that needs to be broken.
17. When we finally learn to say we are sorry (at 3 or 93), we get to finally hear we are O.K. To error is human, and there is great virtue in all forgiveness, ourselves included. The best way to teach our children this lesson is by watching us demonstrates it.
18. Any negative, hurtful or sarcastic remark is abusive. Like a sharp knife, each word will carve out a chunk of a loving relationship that can never grow back. Please consider the source and outcome of your remarks; before you open you mouth to tell your truth.
19. Never let a day go by without saying and showing how much your relationship and partner mean to you. Never take a moment for granted. Express how grateful you are for your good fortune, however meek or humble it may be. Appreciation and gratefulness have magic in them. It seems the more we express them, the more reasons we are given to say thank you.
20. To have a functional relationship you have to be willing to risk loosing it everyday, by telling your truth. If you don't feel free to tell your truth, start asking yourself why you think it's so important to stay, and what else you are willing to lose besides your self-esteem. �. For starters, you can ask your mate to tell their truth, and be willing to accept it at face value, with no judgment. Now you both get to finally know if you each want a relationship based on what's real for each of you.
...For optimum results, start doing this in the first five minutes of meeting anyone.

boigraphy of the fastest man on the globe.

2012-03-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Usain Bolt

Bolt at Berlin World Championships 2009

Personal information

Nickname(s)

Lightning Bolt

Nationality

Jamaican

Born

21 August 1986 (age 25)^[1]
Trelawny, Jamaica^[2]

Residence

Kingston, Jamaica

Height

6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)^[3]

Weight

207 lb (94 kg)^[3]

Sport

Track and field

Event(s)

100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 4×100 m

Club

Racers Track Club

Achievements and titles

Personal best(s)

100 m: 9.58 s (WR, Berlin 2009)^[4]
150 m: 14.35 s (WB, Manchester 2009)^[5]^[6]
200 m: 19.19 s (WR, Berlin 2009)^[7]
400 m: 45.28 s (Kingston 2007)^[1]

Medal record[hide]

Competitor for Jamaica
Men's athletics
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	100 m
Gold	2008 Beijing	200 m
Gold	2008 Beijing	4×100 m relay
World Championships
Gold	2011 Daegu	200 m
Gold	2011 Daegu	4×100 m relay
Gold	2009 Berlin	100 m
Gold	2009 Berlin	200 m
Gold	2009 Berlin	4×100 m relay
Silver	2007 Osaka	200 m
Silver	2007 Osaka	4×100 m relay
World Athletics Final
Gold	2009 Thessaloniki	200 m
CAC Championships
Gold	2005 Nassau	200 m
World Junior Championships
Gold	2002 Kingston
Silver	2002 Kingston	4×100 m relay
Silver	2002 Kingston	4×400 m relay
Pan American Junior Championships
Gold	2003 Bridgetown	200 m
Silver	2003 Bridgetown	4×100 m relay
CARIFTA Games (Junior)
Gold	2004 Hamilton	200 m
Gold	2004 Hamilton	4×100 m relay
Gold	2004 Hamilton	4×400 m relay
Gold	2003 Port of Spain	200 m
Gold	2003 Port of Spain	400 m
Gold	2003 Port of Spain	4×100 m relay
Gold	2003 Port of Spain	4×400 m relay
World Youth Championships
Gold	2003 Sherbrooke	200 m
CARIFTA Games (Youth)
Gold	2002 Nassau	200 m
Gold	2002 Nassau	400 m
Gold	2002 Nassau	4×400 m relay
Silver	2001 Bridgetown	200m
Silver	2001 Bridgetown	400m
Competitor for Americas
World Cup
Silver	2006 Athens	200 m

The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. ( /ˈjuːseɪn/;^[8] born 21 August 1986), is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and (along with his teammates) the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events.
Bolt won a 200 m gold medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, making him the competition's youngest-ever gold medalist. In 2004, at the CARIFTA Games, he became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in less than 20 seconds with a time of 19.93 s,^[9] breaking the previous world junior record held by Roy Martin by two-tenths of a second. He turned professional in 2004, and although he competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he missed most of the next two seasons due to injuries. In 2007, he broke Don Quarrie's 200 m Jamaican record with a run of 19.75 s.
His 2008 season began with his first world record performance—a 100 m world record of 9.72 s—and culminated in world and Olympic records in both the 100 m and 200 m events at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He ran 9.69 s for the 100 m and 19.30 s in the 200 m, and also set a 4×100 m relay record of 37.10 s with the Jamaican team. This made him the first man to win three sprinting events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the first man to set world records in all three at a single Olympics. The following year he further lowered his own 100 m and 200 m world records to 9.58 s and 19.19 s respectively at the 2009 World Championships.^[10] This made him the first man to hold both the 100 and 200 m world and Olympic titles at the same time.
His 2009 record breaking margin over 100 m is the highest since the start of digital time measurements.^[11] His achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt",^[12] and awards including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus Sportsman of the Year.

Early years

Bolt was born on 21 August 1986 in Sherwood Content,^[13] a small town in Trelawny, Jamaica, and grew up with his parents, Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt, his brother Sadeeki,^[14] and his sister Sherine.^[2]^[15] His parents ran the local grocery store in the rural area, and Bolt spent his time playing cricket and football in the street with his brother,^[16] later saying, "When I was young, I didn’t really think about anything other than sports".^[17]
As a child, he attended Waldensia Primary and All-age School, and it was here that he first began to show his sprinting potential, running in the annual national primary-schools' meeting for his parish.^[12] By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance.^[18]
Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events.^[19] Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete,^[20] and Dwayne Barrett coached Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of success in athletics with past students, including sprinter Michael Green.^[12] Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds.^[12] McNeil soon became his primary coach, and the two enjoyed a positive partnership, although McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt's lack of dedication to his training and his predisposition to practical jokes.^[20]

Early competitions

Performing for Jamaica in his first Caribbean regional event, Bolt clocked a personal best of 48.28 s in the 400 metres in the 2001 CARIFTA Games, winning a silver medal. The 200 m also yielded a silver as Bolt finished in 21.81 s.^[21]
He made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Running in the 200 m event, he failed to qualify for the finals, but he still set a new personal best of 21.73 s.^[22] Bolt still did not take athletics or himself too seriously, however, and he took his mischievousness to new heights by hiding in the back of a van when he was supposed to be preparing for the 200 m finals at the CARIFTA Trials. He was detained by the police for his practical joke, and there was an outcry from the local community, which blamed coach McNeil for the incident.^[20] However, the controversy subsided, and both McNeil and Bolt went to the CARIFTA Games, where Bolt set championship records in the 200 m and 400 m with times of 21.12 s and 47.33 s, respectively.^[21] He continued to set records with 20.61 s and 47.12 s finishes at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships.^[23]
Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson recognised Bolt's talent and arranged for him to move to Kingston, along with Jermaine Gonzales, so he could train with the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) at the University of Technology, Jamaica.^[20]

Rise to prominence

The 2002 World Junior Championships before a home crowd in Kingston, Jamaica, gave Bolt a chance to prove his credentials on the world stage. By the age of 15, he had grown to 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in) tall, and he physically stood out amongst his peers.^[12] He won the 200 m, in a time of 20.61 s,^[24] 0.03 seconds slower than his personal best of 20.58 s set in the 1st round.^[25] Bolt's 200 m win made him the youngest world-junior gold medalist ever.^[26] The expectation from the home crowd had made him so nervous that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet. However, it turned out to be a revelatory experience for Bolt as he vowed never again to let himself be affected by pre-race nerves.^[27] As a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team, he also took two silver medals and set national junior records in the 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres relay, running times of 39.15 s and 3:04.06 minutes respectively.^[28]^[29]
The flow of medals continued as he won four gold medals at the 2003 CARIFTA Games, and was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the games.^[30]^[31]^[32] He won another gold at the 2003 World Youth Championships. He set a new championship record in the 200 m with a time of 20.40 s, despite a 1.1 m/s head wind.^[33] Michael Johnson, the 200 m world-record holder, took note of Bolt's potential but worried that the young sprinter might be over-pressured, stating, "It's all about what he does three, four, five years down the line".^[34] Bolt had also impressed the athletics hierarchy, and he received the IAAF Rising Star Award for 2002.^[35]
Bolt turned his main focus to the 200 m and equalled Roy Martin's world junior record of 20.13 s at the Pan-American Junior Championships.^[12]^[36] This performance attracted interest from the press, and his times in the 200 m and 400 m led to him being touted as a possible successor to Johnson. Indeed, at sixteen years old, Bolt had reached times that Johnson did not register until he was twenty, and Bolt's 200 m time was superior to Maurice Greene's season's best that year.^[34]
In his final Jamaican High School Championships in 2003, he broke both the 200 m and 400 m records with times of 20.25 s and 45.30 s, respectively. Bolt's runs were a significant improvement upon the previous records, beating the 200 m best by more than half a second and the 400 m record by almost a second.^[12]
Bolt was growing more popular in his homeland. Howard Hamilton, who was given the task of Public Defender by the government, urged the JAAA to nurture him and prevent burnout, calling Bolt "the most phenomenal sprinter ever produced by this island".^[34] His popularity and the attractions of the capital city were beginning to be a burden to the young sprinter. Bolt was increasingly unfocused on his athletic career and preferred to eat fast food, play basketball, and party in Kingston's club scene. In the absence of a disciplined lifestyle, he became ever-more reliant on his natural ability to beat his competitors on the track.^[37]
As the reigning 200 m champion at both the World Youth and World Junior championships, Bolt hoped to take a clean sweep of the world 200 m championships in the Senior World Championships in Paris.^[12] Bolt beat all comers at the 200 m in the World Championship trials, but he was pragmatic about his chances and noted that, even if he did not make the final, he would consider setting a personal best a success.^[34]^[38] However, he suffered a bout of conjunctivitis before the event, and it ruined his training schedule.^[12] Realising he would not be in peak condition, the JAAA refused to let him participate in the finals on the grounds that he was too young and inexperienced. Bolt was dismayed at missing out on the opportunity, but focused on getting himself in shape to gain a place on the Jamaican Olympic team instead.^[38] Even though he missed the World Championships, Bolt was awarded the IAAF Rising Star Award for the 2003 season on the strength of his junior record-equalling run.^[35]

Professional athletics career

Under the guidance of new coach Fitz Coleman, Bolt turned professional in 2004, beginning with the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda.^[12] He became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in under twenty seconds, taking the world junior record outright with a time of 19.93 s.^[12]^[26] For the second time in the role, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 2004 CARIFTA Games.^[39]^[30]^[31] A hamstring injury in May ruined Bolt's chances of competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships, but he was still chosen for the Jamaican Olympic squad.^[40] Bolt headed to the 2004 Athens Olympics with confidence and a new record on his side. However, he was hampered by a leg injury and was eliminated in the first round of the 200 metres with a disappointing time of 21.05 s.^[1]^[41] American colleges offered Bolt track scholarships on the strength of his performances, but the teenager from Trelawny refused them all, stating that he was content to stay in his homeland of Jamaica.^[15] Bolt instead chose the surroundings of the University of Technology, Jamaica, as his professional training ground, staying with the university's primitive track and weight room that had served him well in his amateur years.^[42]

Bolt at the Crystal Palace Meeting in 2007

The year 2005 signalled a fresh start for Bolt in the form of a new coach, Glen Mills, and a new attitude to athletics. Mills recognised Bolt's potential and aimed to cease the sprinter's unprofessional approach to the sport.^[41] Bolt began training with Mills in preparation for the upcoming athletics season, partnering with more-seasoned sprinters such as Kim Collins and Dwain Chambers.^[43] The year began well, and in July he knocked more than a third of a second off the 200 m CAC Championship record with a run of 20.03 s,^[44] then registered his 200 m season's best at London's Crystal Palace, running in 19.99 s.^[1] Misfortune awaited Bolt at the next major event, the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Bolt felt that both his work ethic and athleticism had much improved since the 2004 Olympics, and he saw the World Championships as a way to live up to expectations, stating, "I really want to make up for what happened in Athens. Hopefully, everything will fall into place".^[45] Bolt qualified with runs under 21 s, but he suffered an injury in the final, finishing in last place with a time of 26.27 s.^[41]^[46] Injuries were preventing him from completing a full professional athletics season, and the eighteen-year-old Bolt still had not proven his mettle in the major world-athletics competitions.^[47] Bolt was involved in a car accident in November, and although he suffered only minor facial lacerations, his training schedule was further upset.^[48]^[49] His manager, Norman Peart, made Bolt's training less intensive, and he had fully recuperated the following week.^[48] Bolt had continued to improve his performances, and he reached the world top-5 rankings in 2005 and 2006.^[12] Peart and Mills stated their intentions to push Bolt to do longer sprinting distances with the aim of making the 400 m event his primary event by 2007 or 2008. Bolt was less enthusiastic, and demanded that he feel comfortable in his sprinting.^[48]^[50] He suffered another hamstring injury in March 2006, forcing him to withdraw from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and he did not return to track events until May.^[51] After his recovery, Bolt was given new training exercises to improve flexibility, and the plans to move him up to the 400 m event were put on hold.^[47]
Upon his return to competition, the 200 m remained his primary event, and he beat Justin Gatlin's meet record in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Bolt had aspired to run under twenty seconds to claim a season's best but, despite the fact that bad weather had impaired his run, he was happy to end the meeting with just the victory.^[52] However, a sub-20-second finish was soon his, as he set a new personal best of 19.88 s at the 2006 Athletissima Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland, finishing behind Xavier Carter and Tyson Gay to earn a bronze medal.^[53] Bolt had focused his athletics aims, stating that 2006 was a year to gain experience. Also, he was more keen on competing over longer distances, setting his sights on running regularly in both 200 m and 400 m events within the next two years.^[52] Bolt claimed his first major world medal two months later at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany. He passed the finishing post with a time of 20.10 s, gaining a bronze medal in the process.^[1] The IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece, yielded Bolt's first senior international silver medal.^[1] Wallace Spearmon from the United States won gold with a championship record time of 19.87 s, beating Bolt's respectable time of 19.96 s.^[54] Further 200 m honours on both the regional and international stages awaited Bolt in 2007. The young Jamaican yearned to run in the 100 metres, but coach Mills diverted his attention, stating that he could run the shorter distance if he broke the 200 m national record.^[41] In the Jamaican Championships, he ran 19.75 s in the 200 m, breaking the 36-year-old Jamaican record held by Don Quarrie by 0.11 s.^[12]^[15]
Mills complied with Bolt's demand to run in the 100 m, and he was entered to run the event at the 23rd Vardinoyiannia meeting in Rethymno, Crete. In his debut tournament run, he set a personal best of 10.03 s, winning the gold medal and feeding his enthusiasm for the event.^[15]^[55]

Bolt (second from left) behind Gay in the closing stages of the 200 m race

Bolt (left) on the podium with his silver medal from the 200 m race in Osaka (2007)

He built on this achievement at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, winning a silver medal.^[1] Bolt recorded 19.91 s with a headwind of 0.8 m/s but this paled in comparison with Tyson Gay's time of 19.76 s, which set a new championship record.^[56]
The Jamaican national record fell when Bolt partnered with Asafa Powell, Marvin Anderson, and Nesta Carter in the 4×100 metres relay. However, their finish in 37.89 s was not enough to beat the Americans' time of 37.78 s.^[57] Bolt did not win any gold medals at the major tournaments in 2007, but Mills felt that Bolt's technique was much improved, pinpointing improvements in Bolt's balance at the turns over 200 m and an increase in his stride frequency, giving him more driving power on the track.^[41]

World-record breaker

The silver medals from the 2007 Osaka World Championships boosted Bolt's desire to run, and he took a more serious, more mature stance towards his career.^[19] Bolt continued to develop in the 100 m, and he entered to run in the event at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston. On 3 May 2008, Bolt ran a time of 9.76 s, aided by a tail wind of 1.8 m/s, considerably improving upon his previous personal best of 10.03 s.^[58] This was the second-fastest legal performance in the history of the event; second only to compatriot Asafa Powell's 9.74 s record set the previous year in Rieti, Italy.^[59] Rival Tyson Gay lauded the performance, praising Bolt's form and technique especially.^[60] Michael Johnson, who was observing the race, said that he was shocked at how quickly he had improved over the 100 m distance.^[61] The Jamaican surprised even himself with the time, but coach Glen Mills remained confident that there was more to come.^[60]

Bolt preparing ahead of a race at the 2007 Osaka World Championships

Mills' prediction came true before the end of the month when Bolt established a new 100 m world record on 31 May 2008. Pushed on by a tail wind of 1.7 m/s, Bolt ran 9.72 s at the Reebok Grand Prix held in the Icahn Stadium in New York City, breaking Powell's record.^[62] The record time was even more remarkable in light of the fact that it was only his fifth senior run over the distance.^[63] Gay again finished second and commended Bolt's physical superiority, stating, "It looked like his knees were going past my face".^[15] Commentators noted that Bolt appeared to have gained a psychological advantage over fellow Olympic contender Gay.^[41]
In June 2008, Bolt responded to claims that he was a lazy athlete, saying that the comments were unjustified, and he trained hard to achieve his potential. However, he surmised that such comments stemmed from his lack of enthusiasm for the 400 metres event, and chose to not make the effort to train for distance running.^[64] Turning his efforts to the 200 m, Bolt proved that he could excel in multiple events—first setting the world-leading time in Ostrava, then breaking the national record for the second time with a 19.67 s finish in Athens, Greece.^[65]^[66] Although Mills still preferred that Bolt focus on the longer distances, the acceptance of Bolt's demand to run in the 100 m worked for both sprinter and trainer. Bolt was more focused in practice, and a training schedule to boost his top speed and his stamina, in preparation for the Olympics, had improved both his 100 m and 200 m times.^[15]^[67]^[68] His confidence was building, and he was sure that he would perform well in the upcoming Olympics.^[65]

2008 Summer Olympics

Bolt announced that he would double-up with the 100 metres and 200 metres events at the Beijing Summer Olympics, and the new 100 m world-record holder was the favourite to win both.^[69]^[70] Michael Johnson, the 200 m and 400 m record holder, personally backed the sprinter, saying that he did not believe that a lack of experience would work against him.^[71] Bolt qualified for the 100 m final with times of 9.92 s and 9.85 s in the quarter-finals and semifinals, respectively.^[72]^[73]^[74]

Bolt held a considerable lead over his rivals in the closing stages of the 100 m final.

In the Olympic 100 m final, Bolt broke new ground, winning in 9.69 s (unofficially 9.683 s) with a reaction time of 0.165 s.^[75] This was an improvement upon his own world record, and he was well ahead of second-place finisher Richard Thompson, who finished in 9.89 s.^[76] Not only was the record set without a favourable wind (+0.0 m/s), but he also visibly slowed down to celebrate before he finished and his shoelace was untied.^[77]^[78]^[79] Bolt's coach reported that, based upon the speed of Bolt's opening 60 m, he could have finished with a time of 9.52 s.^[80] After scientific analysis of Bolt's run by the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo, Hans Eriksen and his colleagues also predicted a sub 9.60 s time. Considering factors such as Bolt's position, acceleration and velocity in comparison with second-place-finisher Thompson, the team estimated that Bolt could have finished in 9.55±0.04 s had he not slowed to celebrate before the finishing line.^[81]^[82]
Bolt stated that setting a record was not a priority for him, and that his goal was just to win the gold medal, Jamaica's first of the 2008 Games.^[83] Olympic medalist Kriss Akabusi construed Bolt's chest slapping before the finish line as showboating, noting that the actions cost Bolt an even faster record time.^[84] IOC president Jacques Rogge also condemned the Jamaican's actions as disrespectful.^[85]^[86] Bolt denied that this was the purpose of his celebration by saying, "I wasn't bragging. When I saw I wasn't covered, I was just happy".^[87] Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF, supported Bolt and said that his celebration was appropriate given the circumstances of his victory. Jamaican government minister Edmund Bartlett also defended Bolt's actions, stating, "We have to see it in the glory of their moment and give it to them. We have to allow the personality of youth to express itself".^[88]

Bolt leads the field in the closing stages of the 200 m final

Bolt then focused on attaining a gold medal in the 200 m event, aiming to emulate Carl Lewis' double win in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.^[89] Michael Johnson felt that Bolt would easily win gold but believed that his own world record of 19.32 s set at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta would remain intact at the Olympics.^[90] Bolt eased through the first and second rounds of the 200 m, jogging towards the end of his run both times.^[91] He won his semifinal and progressed to the final as the favourite to win.^[92] Retired Jamaican sprinter Don Quarrie praised Bolt, saying he was confident that Johnson's record could be beaten.^[35] The following day, at the final, he won Jamaica's fourth gold of the Games, setting a new world and Olympic record of 19.30 s.^[93] Johnson's record fell despite the fact that Bolt was impeded by a 0.9 m/s headwind. The feat made him the first sprinter since Quarrie to hold both 100 m and 200 m world records simultaneously and the first since the introduction of electronic timing.^[93]^[94] Furthermore, Bolt became the first sprinter to break both records at the same Olympics.^[95] Unlike in the 100 m final, Bolt sprinted hard all the way to the finishing line in the 200 m race, even dipping his chest to improve his time.^[96] Following the race, "Happy Birthday" was played over the stadium's sound system as his 22nd birthday would begin at midnight.^[96]
Two days later, Bolt ran as the third leg in the Jamaican 4x100 metres relay team, increasing his gold medal total to three.^[97] Along with teammates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, and Asafa Powell, Bolt broke another world and Olympic record, their 37.10 s finish breaking the previous record by three tenths of a second.^[98] Powell, who anchored the team to the finishing line, lamented the loss of his 100 m record to Bolt but showed no animosity towards his Jamaican rival, stating that he was delighted to help him set his third world record.^[99] Following his victories, Bolt donated US$50,000 to the children of the Sichuan province of China to help those harmed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.^[100]

Bolt celebrates his victory and world record after the 100 m race in the Beijing National Stadium

Bolt's record-setting runs caused commentators not only to praise his achievements but also to speculate about his potential to become one of the most successful sprinters ever.^[17]^[101] Critics hailed his Olympic success as a new beginning for a sport that had long suffered through high-profile drug scandals.^[63]^[102]^{[dead link]} The previous six years had seen the BALCO scandal, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin stripped of their 100 m world records, and Marion Jones returning three Olympic gold medals.^[103] All three sprinters were disqualified from athletics after drugs tests detected banned substances in their systems.^[104]^[105] Bolt's record-breaking performances caused suspicion among some commentators, including Victor Conte, and the lack of an independent Caribbean anti-doping federation raised more concerns.^[106]^[107] The accusations of drug use were vehemently rejected by Glen Mills (Bolt's coach) and Herb Elliott (the Jamaican athletics team doctor). Elliott, a member of the IAAF anti-doping commission, urged those concerned about the issue to "come down and see our programme, come down and see our testing, we have nothing to hide".^[108] Mills had been equally ardent that Bolt was a clean athlete, declaring to the Jamaica Gleaner: "We will test any time, any day, any part of the body...[he] doesn't even like to take vitamins".^[109] Bolt stated that he had been tested four times prior to the Olympics, and all had tested negative for banned substances. He also welcomed anti-doping authorities to test him to prove that he was clean, stating, "We work hard and we perform well and we know we're clean".^[110]

“	I was slowing down long before the finish and wasn't tired at all. I could have gone back to the start and done it all over again.	”
—Usain Bolt's thoughts on his 100m sprint at the 2008 Olympics, published in his autobiography Usain Bolt 9.58^[111]

After the Olympics

The end of the 2008 athletics season saw Bolt compete in the ÅF Golden League, beginning in Weltklasse Zürich. Despite having the slowest start among his competitors in the 100 m race, he still crossed the finishing line in 9.83 s.^[112] Even though the time was slower than both his newly set world record and Asafa Powell's track record, it was still among the top-fifteen 100 m finishes by any sprinter to that date.^[77] Bolt admitted that he was not running at full strength, suffering from a cold, but he had concentrated on both winning the race and finishing the season in good health.^[112] At the Super Grand Prix final in Lausanne, Bolt ran his second-fastest 200 m with a time of 19.63 s, equalling Xavier Carter's track record.^[113] However, it was the 100 m final, featuring Asafa Powell, that drew the most interest. Powell had moved closer to Bolt's world record after setting a new personal best of 9.72 s, reaffirming his status as Bolt's main contender.^[114] Bolt's final event of the season came three days later at the Golden League final in Brussels. This was the first 100 m race featuring both Bolt and Powell since the final in the Olympics. Both Jamaicans broke the track record, but Bolt came out on top with a time of 9.77 s, beating Powell by 0.06 s. Victory, however, did not come as smoothly as it had in Beijing. Bolt made the slowest start of the nine competitors and had to recover ground in cold conditions and against a 0.9 m/s headwind.^[115] Yet the results confirmed Jamaican dominance in the 100 m, with nine of the ten-fastest legal times in history being recorded by either Bolt or Powell.^[77] On his return to Jamaica, Bolt was honoured in a homecoming celebration and received an Order of Distinction in recognition of his achievements at the Olympics.^[116]
He was selected as the IAAF Male Athlete of the year and won a Special Olympic Award for his performances.^[117] However, Bolt turned his attention to future events, suggesting that he could aim to break the 400 metres world record in 2010 as no major championships were scheduled that year.^[118]

2009 Berlin World Championships

Bolt (centre) in the starting blocks before his 150 metres world best run of 14.35 seconds

Bolt started the season competing over 400 metres in order to improve his speed, winning two races and registering 45.54 s in Kingston,^[119] and windy conditions gave him his first sub-10 second finish of the season in the 100 m in March.^[120] In late April Bolt suffered minor leg injuries in a car crash. However, he quickly recovered following minor surgery and (after cancelling a track meet in Jamaica) he stated that he was fit to compete in the 150 metres street race at the Manchester Great City Games.^[121] Bolt won the race in 14.35 s, the fastest time ever recorded for 150 m.^[122] Despite not being at full fitness, he took the 100 and 200 m titles at the Jamaican national championships, with runs of 9.86 s and 20.25 s respectively.^[123]^[124] This meant he had qualified for both events at the 2009 World Championships. Rival Tyson Gay suggested that Bolt's 100 m record was within his grasp, but Bolt dismissed the claim and instead noted that he was more interested in Asafa Powell's return from injury.^[125] Bolt defied unfavourable conditions at the Athletissima meet in July, running 19.59 seconds into a 0.9 m/s headwind and rain, to record the fourth fastest time ever over 200 m,^[126] one hundredth off Gay's best time.^[127]

Bolt (left) during the 200 metres quarter-finals at the 2009 World Championships

At the 2009 World Championships in August, Bolt eased through the 100 m heats, clocking the fastest ever pre-final performance of 9.89 seconds.^[128] The final was the first time Bolt and Gay had met in the season, and Bolt improved his world record with a time of 9.58 s to win his first World Championship gold medal. Gay finished with a time of 9.71 s, 0.02 s off Bolt's 9.69 s world-record run in Beijing.^[129] Taking over a tenth of a second off the previous best mark, this was the largest ever margin of improvement in the 100 m world record since the beginning of electronic timing.^[130]
Although Gay withdrew from the second race of the competition, the Jamaican once again produced world record-breaking form in the 200 metres final. He broke his own record by 0.11 seconds, finishing with a time of 19.19 seconds.^[131] He won the 200 m race by the biggest margin in World Championships history, even though the race had three other athletes running under 19.90 seconds, the greatest number ever in the event.^[132]^[133] Bolt's pace impressed even the more experienced of his competitors; third-placed Wallace Spearmon complimented his speed,^[134] and former Olympic champion Shawn Crawford said "Just coming out there...I felt like I was in a video game, that guy was moving – fast".^[135] Bolt pointed out that an important factor in his performance at the World Championships was his improved start to the races: his reaction times in the 100 m (0.146)^[136] and 200 m (0.133)^[137] were significantly faster than those he had produced in his world record runs at the Beijing Olympics.^[138]^[139] However, he, together with other members of Jamaican 4x100 m relay team, fell short of their own world record of 37.10 s set at 2008 Summer Olympics by timing 37.31 s, which is, however, a championship record and the second fastest time in history at that date.^[140]

Bolt beating all opposition and setting a 100 m world record

On the last day of the Berlin Championships, the governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, presented Bolt with a 12-foot high section of the Berlin Wall in a small ceremony, saying Bolt had shown that "one can tear down walls that had been considered as insurmountable." The nearly three-ton segment will be delivered to Bolt's training camp in Jamaica.^[141]
Several days after Bolt broke the world records in 100 and 200 metres events, Mike Powell, the world record holder in long jump (8.95 metres set in 1991) argued that Bolt could become the first man to jump over 9 metres, the long jump event being "a perfect fit for his speed and height".^[142] At the end of the season he was selected as the IAAF World Athlete of the Year for the second year running.^[143]

2010: Diamond League and broken streak

Early on in the 2010 outdoor season, Bolt ran 19.56 seconds in the 200 m in Kingston, Jamaica for the fourth-fastest run of all-time, although he stated that he had no record breaking ambitions for the forthcoming season.^[144] He took to the international circuit May with wins in East Asia at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting and then a comfortable win in his 2010 IAAF Diamond League debut at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.^[145]^[146] Bolt made an attempt to break Michael Johnson's best time over the rarely competed 300 metres event at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava. He failed to match Johnson's ten-year-old record of 30.85 and suffered a setback in that his 30.97-second run in wet weather had left him with an Achilles tendon problem.^[147]^[148]
On his return from injury a month later, he asserted himself with a 100 m win at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne (9.82 seconds) and a victory over Asafa Powell at Meeting Areva in Paris (9.84 seconds).^[149]^[150] Despite this run of form, he suffered only the second loss of his career in a 100 m final at the DN Galan. Tyson Gay soundly defeated him with a run of 9.84 to Bolt's 9.97 seconds, and the Jamaican reflected that he had slacked off in training early in the season while Gay had been better prepared and in a better condition.^[151] This marked Bolt's first loss to Gay over 100 m, which coincidentally occurred in the same stadium where Powell had beaten Bolt for the first time two years earlier.^[152]

2011 Daegu World Championships

Considered the overwhelming favourite to win in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Bolt was eliminated from the final for a false start.^[153] Usain Bolt's countryman, Yohan Blake won in a season best of 9.92 seconds. In the 200m, Bolt cruised through to the final which he won in a time of 19.40s,^[154] the fastest time in history never to be a World Record. Bolt also won gold in 4x100 metres relay with team Jamaica setting a world record time of 37.04.

Personal life

Bolt striking his signature "To Di World"^[155] pose

Bolt expresses a love for dancing and his character is frequently described as laid-back and relaxed.^[19]^[156]^{[dead link]}^[157] Bolt's Jamaican track and field idols include Herb McKenley and former Jamaican 100 m 200 m world record holder, Don Quarrie. Michael Johnson, the former 200 m world and Olympic record holder, is also held in high esteem by Bolt.^[19] The first sport to interest him was cricket and he said if he was not a sprinter he would be a fast bowler instead.^[19] As a child he was a supporter of the Pakistani cricket team and admired the bowling of Waqar Younis.^[158] He is also a fan of Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, West Indian opener Chris Gayle^[159] and Australian opener Matthew Hayden.^[160] During a charity cricket match Bolt clean-bowled Chris Gayle. Gayle was complimentary of Bolt's pace and swing.^[161] Bolt also struck a six off Chris Gayle's bowling. Another bowler complimentary of Bolt's pace was former West Indies fast-bowling great Curtly Ambrose.^[162]
Bolt has also expressed his love for football and is a fan of Manchester United as well as Real Madrid.^[163] Bolt has also declared he is a fan of Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.^[164] Following a race in Manchester, he met the team at their training ground and offered Portuguese national Cristiano Ronaldo some sprinting advice.^[165] Bolt was a special guest of Manchester United at the 2011 UEFA Champions League final in London, where he stated he'd like to play for them after he retires.^[166]
In 2010, he also revealed his fondness of music, when he played a reggae DJ set to a crowd in Paris.^[167]
After winning the 200 m title in the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma.^[168] To promote Bolt's chase for Olympic glory in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Puma released a series of videos including Bolt's then-world-record-setting run in Icahn Stadium and his Olympic preparations.^[169] After his world record breaking run in New York City, which was preceded by a lightning storm,^[170] the press frequently made puns on the Jamaican's name, nicknaming him "Lightning Bolt" and the "Bolt from the blue".^[171]^[172]^[173]^{[dead link]} During the Beijing 2008 100 m final, Bolt wore golden Puma Complete Theseus spikes that had "Beijing 100 m Gold" emblazoned across them.^[174] His athletics agent is PACE Sports Management.^[175]
In 2010, Bolt signed a lucrative publishing deal with HarperCollins for an autobiography, which was negotiated by Chris Nathaniel of NVA Management.^[176] This is scheduled for release in 2012. During a press conference in Paris on 15 July 2010, Bolt declined any comment on what would be contained within the book saying, "you can't really give away anything in your book ... should be exciting, it's my life, and I'm a cool and exciting guy".^[163]

Recognition

As a result of Bolt's successes in athletics, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for 2009 and 2010.^[177]^[178]

IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009
Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2009, 2010
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 2008, 2009

Statistics

As of 28 August 2010

Personal bests

Event	Time (seconds)	Venue	Date	Records	Notes
100 metres	9.58	Berlin, Germany	16 August 2009		Also shares the second fastest time of 9.69 with Tyson Gay. Bolt's 9.69 set the Olympic record in 2008.
150 metres	14.35	Manchester, United Kingdom	17 May 2009	World best^[5]	He ran the last 100 m in 8.70, the fastest ever recorded time over a 100 m distance. This would equal an average speed of 41.38 km/h.
200 metres	19.19	Berlin, Germany	20 August 2009		Also holds the Olympic Record with 19.30, at the time (2008) a new world record.
300 metres	30.97	Ostrava, Czech Republic	27 May 2010		This is the second fastest time, behind Michael Johnson's 30.85.
400 metres	45.28^[12]	Kingston, Jamaica	5 May 2007
4 × 100 metres relay	37.04	Daegu, South Korea	4 September 2011		Shared with Yohan Blake, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter.

Records

The progression of Bolt's 200 m seasons' best times^[179]

The progression of Bolt's 100 m seasons' best times^[179]

Bolt's personal best of 9.58 seconds in the 100 metres is the fastest ever legal time.^[77] Bolt also holds the second fastest time of 9.69 seconds (more precisely 9.683),^[75] the current Olympic record.^[77] Tyson Gay recorded a time of 9.68 s at the 2008 US Olympic Trials, but was aided with a tail wind of 4.1 m/s, exceeding the legal limit of 2.0 m/s set by the IAAF and nullifying its inclusion as a world record.^[180] Obadele Thompson's run of 9.69 s in 1996 is also not recognised as it was aided by a 5.0 m/s tail wind.^[77]
Bolt's personal best of 19.19 s in the 200 metres is the world record. This was recorded at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin against a headwind of −0.3 m/s. He has also broken the Olympic record with a time of 19.30 s (more precisely 19.296 s)^[181]
The Jamaican relay team including Bolt, set the 4x100 metres world and Olympic records at the 2008 Olympics with a time of 37.10 seconds. This is the only run in the IAAF top ten performances which was not set by an American team.^[182]
Bolt also holds the 200 metres world teenage best results for the age categories 15 (20.58 s), 16 (20.13 s, world youth record), 17 (19.93 s) and 18 (19.93 s, world junior record).^[75] He also holds the 150 metres world best set in 2009, during which he ran the last 100 metres in 8.70 seconds, the quickest timed 100 metres ever.^[75]

Average speed

From his record time of 9.58 s for the 100 m sprint Usain Bolt's average ground speed equates to: 37.58 km/h or 23.35 mph. However, once his reaction time of 0.15 s is subtracted, his time is closer to 9.43 s, making his average speed closer to 38.18 km/h or 23.72 mph.^[183]

Honours

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	1st	200 m	20.61
			2nd	4×100 m relay	39.15 NJR
			2nd	4×400 m relay	3:04.06 NJR
2003	World Youth Championships	Sherbrooke, Canada	1st	200 m	20.40
2003	Pan American Junior Championships	Bridgetown, Barbados	1st	200 m	20.13 WYB
2003	Pan American Junior Championships	Bridgetown, Barbados	2nd	4×100 m relay	39.40
2004	CARIFTA Games	Hamilton, Bermuda	1st	200 m	19.93 WJR
2005	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	200 m	20.03
2006	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	3rd	200 m	20.10
2006	IAAF World Cup	Athens, Greece	2nd	200 m	19.96
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	2nd	200 metres	19.91
2008	Reebok Grand Prix	New York City, United States	1st	100 m	9.72 WR
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	100 metres	9.69 WR OR
			1st	200 metres	19.30 WR OR
			1st	4×100 metres relay	37.10 WR OR
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	100 metres	9.58 WR
			1st	200 metres	19.19 WR
			1st	4×100 metres relay	37.31 CR
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea
			1st	200 metres	19.40 WL
			1st	4×100 metres relay	37.04 WR

AFRICAN TEAMS MAKE A BIG MOVEMNET UP.

2012-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

African teams on the march

Ninety-one games have been taken into account for the March edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, three-quarters of which were friendly matches.

The Netherlands (2nd, up 1) are once again Spain’s closest challengers thanks to their 3-2 victory in England, which was coupled with a 2-1 defeat for Germany (3rd, down 1). Meanwhile, Argentina (8th, up 3) have returned to the top ten after a one-month absence, pushing Denmark (11th, down 1) out of the coveted positions in the process.

In Asia, ten matches in the third round of the preliminary competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ have left their mark. Uzbekistan (67th, up ten) sensationally defeated Japan (33rd, down 3) 1-0 to claim top spot in their group, and they now head into round four defending an unbeaten record. Korea Republic (30th, up 4) have also benefited from Japan’s slip-up to surge past the Samurai Blue for the first time since 2004, whereas Australia (20th, up 2) have also returned to the top 20 thanks to their high-scoring 4-2 victory over Saudi Arabia.

The biggest climbers of the month all come from Africa, however, with the victors of 13 matches in the second round of CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2013 qualifying all securing the most points, and Congo (101st, up 29), Chad (112th, up 29) and São Tomé e Príncipe (115th, up 53) in particular all causing a stir. São Tomé e Príncipe and Estonia (47th, up 7) are both also currently in their highest-ever positions since the introduction of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking will be published on 11 April 2012

FOURTH SUB IN CUP MATCHES FIFA MAY CONSIDER

2012-02-01T04:17:00.001-08:00

FIFA consider bringing in fourth sub in cup matches that head into extra-time

By Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 11:51 AM on 1st February 2012

Clubs could soon be allowed to bring on a fourth substitute in cup matches that go to extra-time.
It is one of the proposals up for discussion as FIFA lawmakers - the International Football Association Board (IFAB) - meet for their AGM in Surrey on Saturday.

Changing rules: Clubs could soon be allowed an extra substitute

The game's chiefs will also discuss goal-line technology, with a final decision on whether it will be implemented due after Euro 2012.
However, it is the suggestion of an extra sub that will raise eyebrows.
In matches that go to 30 minutes extra-time, sides can often be left disadvantaged by a late injury or general fatigue.

A new rule would allow clubs to bring on an additional substitute if they have already made three changes during normal time.
Goal-line technology, which has been heavily debated for several years, now looks increasingly likely to be brought in in time for next season in the Barclays Premier League and beyond.
The IFAB will also debate the use of vanishing spray - trialled in last year's Copa America - that is used to mark out the 10 yards where defending players must be for free-kicks.

2012-02-01T03:07:00.000-08:00

Disaster for Arsenal and England as midfielder Wilshere is ruled out for the season

By Sami Mokbel
Last updated at 8:22 AM on 1st February 2012

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere looks almost certain to miss the rest of the season after scans showed his latest injury setback is worse than first feared.
The 20-year-old is now very doubtful for England’s Euro 2012 campaign as he is unlikely to feature at all for his club this season.

Setback: Jack Wilshere is set to spend more time on the sidelines

Wilshere has missed the entire campaign to date with a stress fracture of his right ankle, which needed surgery.
He was expected to return this month but broke down in training last week.
Wilshere has since had a series of scans to determine the extent of the injury and the results indicate he has suffered another stress fracture in the same ankle.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hoped to have him back this month as the 20-year-old made promising progress with rehabilitation plan.
Sportsmail revealed on Saturday how Wilshere would not return until April at the earliest, but Wenger wanted to have the injury thoroughly examined before making a decision.

Blow: Wilshere's problems affect both Arsene Wenger (left) and Fabio Capello

And results of those scans have raised fears that the latest setback to Wilshere's right ankle is worst than first feared, with early indications showing he has suffered another stress fracture.
The news is also a massive blow to Fabio Capello, who wanted Wilshere as a key component of his plans for Euro 2012 glory this summer.
Even if he is fit enough to return before the end of the season, Wenger may decide not to play the youngster this season in a bid to ensure his fitness ahead of next season.

Crocked: Jack Wilshere will be out for the rest of the season

fan handcuff him self to goalpost..............................

2012-02-01T02:47:00.000-08:00

Off the cuffs protest! Fan handcuffs himself to goalpost in Everton v Manchester City match at Goodison Park

Play was delayed in Everton's Barclays Premier League match against Manchester City at Goodison Park after a spectator invaded the pitch and handcuffed himself to a goalpost.
The man emerged from the crowd shortly before 8.40pm on Tuesday with just under five minutes remaining until half-time and shackled himself to the frame of City keeper Joe Hart's goal.

Protest: Stewards were too slow to get to the supporter as he handcuffed himself to the post

It is believed that the man was protesting against Ryanair's recruitment policy after his daughter was denied a job by the airline.
A message on his T-shirt read: 'Europe's greatest training robbers. Ryanair. Lowest wages guaranteed. Stop. Recruitment scamming our children.'
After a hold-up which resulted in five minutes of first-half stoppage time in the live TV game, he was released and led away by police.
Everton went on to win the game 1-0.

It took a number of officers and a pair of bolt-cutters to remove the handcuffs as fans looked on

The man worse a T-shirt criticising Ryanair. The airline had apparently denies his daughter a job

In a statement, Everton said: 'Bolt-cutters were used to remove the offender, who was roundly booed as he was escorted from the ground.
'It transpired that the supporter is a known professional protester, allegedly protesting about an airline's recruitment policy. He was arrested by Merseyside Police, who are now dealing with the matter.'
Merseyside Police said a 46-year-old man from Southport was arrested for pitch invasion following the incident.
A spokesman added: 'He has been taken to a police station, where he remains, to be questioned.'

Police finally managed to escort the individual away after a five-minute break in the game

2012-01-30T08:44:00.001-08:00

Transfers

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