Wallace Spearmon will be the lone American with a chance to stun Usain Bolt, and stun the world, in Thursday's 200 meter track final.
Bolt is, and long has been, the presumptive gold medalist in the 200. He won the event in 2008 and, after winning gold in the 100 meter sprint earlier this week, is widely expected to add hardware to his collection.
But Spearmon, who was disqualified from the 200 in Beijing in 2008, isn't ready to hand the gold to Bolt just yet. From The Los Angeles Times:
Bolt was one of three Jamaicans qualifying for the eight-man field in the final. Yohan Blake of Jamaica had the fastest qualifying time at 20.01 seconds, followed by Spearmon in 20.02 and France Christopher Lemaitre at 20.03.
Spearmon, the lone American in the field, bristled at the suggestion that Bolt and Blake had all but wrapped up the first two spots.
"That's why we're racing," Spearmon said. "If we weren't, they'd just hand them the medals and we'd race for third or whatever."
That is surely the right attitude, but Bolt does, alas, own both the Olympic record (19.30 seconds) and world record in the 200 (19.19).
Thursday's race is scheduled for 8:55 p.m. London time, or 3:55 p.m. Eastern.
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