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BARCELONA, SPAIN - JULY 27: James Dasaolu of Great Britain competes in the Mens 100m Heat during day one of the 20th European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
European Athletics – News – Watch out Bolt! Dasaolu sizzles with 9.91
With a blistering performance, James Dasaolu, of Great Britain, has on Saturday put down a new marker for European sprinting – by running quicker this year than Usain Bolt.
Competing in Britain's trials in Birmingham for next month's World Championships in Moscow, and on the hottest day of the year in England with temperatures at 30 degrees, Dasaolu, 25, scorched to a brilliant personal best of 9.91 in his semi-final of the 100m.
The time is the quickest by a European athlete in 2013, the second fastest ever by a Briton and puts him fourth in the world this year.
Only American Tyson Gay, with a best of 9.75, Jamaican Asafa Powell with 9.88, and Justin Gatlin, also of the USA, with 9.89, are above him in the rankings.
Double Olympic champion and world record-holder Bolt has a best of 9.94 this summer.
The crowd at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham were left stunned as he soared out of his blocks to equal the third best run ever by a European.
The European record is held by Francis Obikwelu, of Portugal, with 9.86, followed by Britain's 1992 Olympic champion Linford Christie, with 9.87. Dasaolu, who is from South London, now shares the third place berth with the Netherlands' Churandy Martina.
The World Championships are exactly four weeks away, starting on August 10, and Dasaolu will now aim to improve his status even more at a distance which Bolt has dominated since 2008.
He had brought his personal best down to 10.03 at the IAAF Diamond League on the same Birmingham track at the end of last month but now he has achieved that landmark of going under 10 seconds.
Dasaolu said: “I finally got that sub-10 clocking and I didn’t just dip under 10.
“I was so happy that I went 9.91, almost challenging the 9.80s.
"As a sprinter you want to go under that 10 seconds. It is such a big thing for me.
"I don't know how fast I can go – you will have to ask my coach but I want to build on this.
“I knew if conditions were okay and if I executed my race I would run a personal best. I have run a personal best in my last three races, so I am an athlete on the up and I am really happy."
He is the first British man to go under 10 seconds since Dwain Chambers' 9.97 when he won bronze at the World Championships in Seville in 1999.
Dasaolu did not run again as he felt a twinge in a calf and did not want to risk anything ahead of Moscow.
The final was won by Chambers who became British champion for a seventh time as he won in 10.04 from Harry Aikines-Aryeetey in a personal best of 10.08 and Andrew Robertson, third in 10.14.
European Athletics – News
