None were brighter than the wildly popular Usain Bolt's world record sprint double, and the Jamaican's three gold medals overall. Bolt shattered his own 100 meters mark of 9.69 seconds, set at last year's Olympic Games in China, with a stunning 9.58 on the second night of the WCA. Tyson Gay of the United States finished "second in an American record 9.71, and Jamaica's Asaf a Powell third in 9.84. The 6' 5'' sprint star, who celebrated his 23rd birthday during the WCA, returned days later to the Olympic Stadium track to clock 19.19 in the 200 meters and break his other individual world mark set at the '08 Olympics. That result took [Bolt] more by surprise. In the women's 4x400 relay, Jamaica's team of Rosemarie White, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shereefa Lloyd and Shericka [Gordon Williams] finished second to the U.S. A silver was also earned by Cuba's Yarelis Barrios in the women's discus, while T&T's Renny Quow won bronze in the 400 meters. His country's team of Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callander and Richard Thompson, captured silver in the 4x100.
That year, The Montreal Commercial High School student won the Outstanding Intermediate Athlete of Quebec award after setting provincial records in the 60-metre dash, 100-metre dash and the broad jump. Ms. [Rosella Marie Thome-Johnson] also earned a place on the Canadian team to compete in the British Empire Games in New Zealand. At a time when Blacks weren't highly favored, Ms. Thome's exceptional feats as a track and field athlete and as a star basketball player earned her the honor of being invited to Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth and meeting world leaders and dignitaries. In recognition and honor of her accomplishments, she was presented with the Crest Ring of the City and The Key to the City by then Montreal Mayor Camilien Houde. In die months that followed, Ms. Thome continued to excel in track and field as a member of the Montreal Olympic Track Team and on the basketball court with the Montreal Meteor women's team. Two years ' later, in 1952, she attained another milestone in her already spectacular track and field career when she went to the Helsinki Olympics in Finland; these games were significant in that they marked the first participation by the Soviet Union.