Usain Bolt - file

N.B. Foster's 2006 Athletics Review wraps up this week with a look at Shericka Williams and Veronica Campbell.

The 2006 season has taken World Junior 200m record holder, Usain Bolt, within two hundredths of a second of Donald Quarrie's national record of 19.86 seconds.

Bolt's 19.88 seconds for third at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a life-time best for the 20-year-old Jamaican and it made him the fourth fastest man over the half- lap distance this past season.

After missing the Common-wealth Games due to injury, Olympian Bolt returned to lead the world in the event with his 20.08 at a meet in Fort-de-France, Martinique, in April.

Though he has never beaten world leader, Xavier Carter, whose 19.63 run is the second best of all time, Wallace Spearmon and Tyson Gay (the other men who ran faster than Bolt) have both suffered at his feet.

Bolt ran 20.10 to beat Gay in a close finish at May's Jamaica International Invitational while his personal best took care of Spearmon in Lausanne.

Bolt, who won gold at every junior championships, has also had times of 20.10 in Stuttgart, Germany, 20.25 in New York, U.S.A., 20.28 in Ostrava, Czech Republic and ended his very productive season in Athens.

Positive mind

In his final race, Bolt ran 19.96 for second at the IAAF World Cup of Athletics, finishing behind Spearmon (19.88).

"I think the season went pretty well," said Bolt, the CAC Championships gold medallist. "I went out there with a positive mind," he added.

"This season I just went out there to compete and get ready for next season's World Championships. I achieved my main goal, which was running my personal best," the University of Technology student added.

"I have achieved all what I set out to achieve in 2006," he explained, while saying "to break the national record and win the World Championships gold" are his goals next season.