Jamaican track and field star Usain Bolt is set to advance to the 200-meter final today. With today's semifinal, at 3:10 p.m. EDT, Bolt has the opportunity to successfully defend the 200-meter title from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Bolt has two other Jamaican sprinters to watch out for with Yohan Blake and Warren Weir. Americans Wallace Spearmon and Isiah Youg are also participating in today's semifinal.
But according to another American runner, Bolt is "beatable."
"We're talking about something like it hasn't been done before, which it has. He's been beaten by his own teammate twice," said Justin Gatlin, who won the bronze medal at the 100-meters during the 2012 London Olympics.
Gatlin does refer to Blake as the man capable of defeating Bolt's possible historic feat.
"The guy is beatable, it's just that you've got to pick the right day, right conditions. It's a small window of error, a small margin of success, but it's attainable," added Gatlin.
Blake did defeat Bolt during the Jamaican Olympic trials, but Bolt is determined to keep his world and Olympic records in the 200-meter the same.
As Gatlin mentioned with "right conditions," the weather might give Bolt the advantage during the 200-meter race. The London weather for both Wednesday and Thursday is expected to be cooler with swirling winds, which isn't in Bolt's favor, but it is expected to be calm by the time Bolt's final race tomorrow starts, at 3:55 p.m. EDT.
According to the Associated Press, "It is going to get a little warmer, the temperature will be up to [70 to 72 degrees Farenheit]. There will be no wind and the clouds will have broken, so in every way it is going to be pretty much perfect conditions for a race like this," said Robin Thwates of the United Kingdom's official weather service Met Office. "Earlier, there will be some wind, and most of the day it will be cloudy, but that is going to clear."
Former Olympic champion Michael Johnson spelled out the importance of the weather and the impact it could have on the race.
"For great times, it would definitely be good if it is a little warmer and calm conditions," Johnson told the BBC. "It just helps the athletes, and the general consensus is that it makes the track faster. You don't want a strong wind blowing into your face - remember we are talking about tiny fractions of a second when it comes to world records."
Bolt currently holds the record for the 200-meter race with 19.19 seconds during the Berlin World Championships in 2009.
Usain Bolt's Olympic Track & Field Schedule:
200-Meter
Men's 200-meter Semifinals: August 8, 3:10 p.m. EDT
Men's 200-meter Final: August 9, 3:55 p.m. EDT
4x100-Meter Relay
Men's 4x100-meter Relay Round 1: - August 10, 2:45 p.m. EDT
Men's 4x100-meter Relay Final: - August 11, 4 p.m. EDT
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