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Mens 200m Preview: Will lightning strike twice?

Usain Bolt is confident he can break the world record in the 200m but he will face tough competition, says Bob Adams.

Jamaica has supplied the gold medallists in the men's and women's 100 metres, but will the reggae beat of the Caribbean island have the Jamaicans dancing onto the podium in the 200 metres?

After his stroll in the park over the minimum trip, Usain Bolt is surely a nailed on certainty for the 200 metres. The half lapper is also his preferred event, but in terms of a world record, how low can the 21 year old go? Bolt was mightily impressive in taking the 100m world record to unheard of heights of 9.69 seconds last Saturday, so anything seems possible. However, judging by the current Betfair market on a new 200m mark, it looks as if backers believe that this particular lightning Bolt will not strike twice.

Michael Johnson's record of 19.32, set in Atlanta twelve years ago, is in itself an awesome standard, but Bolt is confident that he can better it. Bolt eased through the first round and looked comfortable in qualifying, before shifting up a gear to take his 2nd round heat ahead of the American Shawn Crawford and veteran 32 year old Kim Collins.

Four of the semi-finalists have run under 20 seconds this year, so Bolt will be pushed all the way by Crawford, Wallace Spearman and 100m bronze medallist, Walter Dix. In the Winner Without Bolt market, Crawford, Spearman and Dix all look value and I'll take some of the [2.8] that a new world record will be set as well.

For the Jamaicans to produce a clean sweep of the sprint gold medals across both sexes would be something for an island of just 2.7 million people. However in Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sherrone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, the reggae island has the three of the fastest women in the event this year. A repeat of the Jamaican 1-2-3 in the 100m, where Simpson and Stewart chased home Shelly Ann Fraser is altogether possible.

The main opposition will come from the quiet American Allyson Felix who is gradually coming back to her best and could pose a real threat to the Jamaican dominance. The 21.81 that Felix clocked in Osaka last year when claiming the world title was impressive, but she has not got near that time this season. The 22 year old Californian is however focussed entirely on the 200m and deserves to be vying for favouritism with the mercurial Campbell-Brown. An outside tip to get on the podium for me is the Frenchwoman Muriel Hurtis-Houairi who is ranked second in the world this year behind Felix and could surprise a few of new better touted rivals.

I can't see the world record going here so Florence Griffith-Joyner's 21.34 from Seoul 1988 looks safe for the moment. However there are plenty of other markets on the 200m including some intriguing match bets.