The former men's 100 meters world record holder Donovan Bailey expected Usain Bolt to win the 100 meters sprint in the coming Beijing Olympics, which was echoed by a retired four-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon.

Bailey, who won the 1996 Atlanta Olympic 100 meters gold in a world-record 9.84 seconds, favored Jamaican Bolt, the incumbent world record holder with a May performance of 9.72 seconds, to beat both his country fellow Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay.

Powell, whose world record was taken over by Bolt by two hundredths of a second, defeated Bolt,nevertheless, last week in Stockholm, Sweden, 9.88to 9.89 seconds. World champion Gay, the favorite sprinter of the U.S. athletic squad, ran a wind-aided 9.68 seconds, the fastest of all time under any conditions, at the U.S. Olympic trials last month.

However, Bailey wrote on the Sports Illustrated website, "For Tyson or Asafa to beat Usain, they would need to have a flawless start and a flawless acceleration phase and still stay relaxed."

"It almost seemed like Usain had another turbo gear that he hadn't unleashed yet, like it was a 120m race," said Jamaican-Canadian Bailey, who won a funny 150 meters race and a $1.5 million prize in June 1997 over the 200 meters world record (19.32 seconds) holder Michael Johnson to declare himself the world's fastest man.

Bailey's pick was echoed by Boldon from Trinidad and Tobago, now a CBS and NBC Sports analyst who netted a silver and three bronzes in Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.

Boldon said in a column on a Greek website HellenicAthletes he was confident that Bolt would win the sprint double if he lines up in both events. The 21-year-old's double lineup will be athis coach Glen Mills' discretion, according to the Jamaican himself.

Bolt clocked the world fastest two times this year in each 100 and 200 meters run. "I would go on record now and pick Bolt for 3 golds in Beijing(100m, 200m 4x100m) because I have thought so for some time," Boldon said.

Boldon rated the matchup of Bolt, Powell and Gay the best in the Olympic history, the last two world record holders versus each other and the world champion. "The best starter in the world (Powell) versus the best two finishers in the world(Gay and Bolt)," Boldon wrote.

Without Gay showing up in the Olympic men's 200 meters, Boldon believed no one would challenge Bolt's reigning in the half-lap sprint. Gay lost his chance to win the Olympic 200 meters gold since leg cramps forced him out of the U.S. Olympic trials in June.

"With no Tyson in sight, I don't think this race is going to even be that close in Beijing," Boldon said.

"Bolt's top two 200m times in his life, both done this year, are into slight headwinds! Scary."

Boldon said the only thing that can "bring Bolt back to the field" is the seven 100 and 200 meters rounds prior to the 200 meters final on August 20.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2008)