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But still he won in 9.77sec, another stupendous time. Not only was the race run into a headwind of -1.3 metres per second, the track was wet, with puddles across the inside two lanes after a torrential downpour and Bolt was the slowest of all nine athletes to rise from their blocks. But as the sport discovered at the Olympics, no barrier is too much for the 6ft 5in phenomenon from Trelawny. A year ago that winning time would have equalled the world record but now it is a mere blip in the rankings since Bolt ran 9.69 to triumph in Beijing - slowing down then with 20m left to start his celebration. That is the impact this 22-year-old has had on the sport this summer. Even his rivals know that running him so close is an achievement. "Since I have been competing, this was one of my most exciting races," said Powell, the former world record-holder who was second in 9.83. The pair are great friends, and quite a double act. "I was sleeping at the start," said Bolt which Powell quickly responded to by saying: "With legs like those he does not need a good reaction [when the gun goes off]." Bolt's presence, and their rivalry in particular, made the race a glorious occasion at this final Golden League meeting of the season, even in the absence of Tyson Gay, the injured American world champion. Three times the 50,000 crowd at the King Baudouin Stadium were asked for hush as the athletes were called to their blocks. Bolt has transformed the 100m. He now heads home to a hero's welcome, but he could arrive back with a warning for next summer. Powell runs in Rieti tomorrow afternoon, on the track where he broke the world record with 9.74 at the end of last season. Having clocked 9.72 in Lausanne on Tuesday, Powell said: "He [Bolt] will be travelling home and I've told him to expect some bad news when he gets there." It was almost unnoticed that behind them were team-mates Nesta Carter, third in 10.07, and Michael Frater, fourth in 10.08.
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