Usain Bolt escapes car crash with minor injuries

Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world over 100m and 200m, has escaped with a minor injury after driving his favourite car - a BMW M3 given to him by his sponsors Puma - into a ditch outside Kingston, Jamaica.

The 22-year-old triple Olympic gold medalist walked away with only scratches and tree thorns in his feet, sustained when he stepped out of the smashed car onto the side of Highway 2000, presumably not wearing his Pumas.

Bolt, accompanied by what the local press described only as "an unidentified female passenger", had his feet bandaged at a hospital in Spanish Town before being sent home. The car was reported by the Jamaica Observer to be in a more serious condition, its windscreen shattered and a wheel almost torn off.

A police spokesman said Bolt had lost control of his Bimmer after apparently speeding on Highway 2000 when it was still wet from recent rain. The accident came despite the sprinter attending lessons at the Nurburgring in Germany last year when he was taught how to handle the high-performance car.

The accident may prevent Bolt competing in this Saturday's Jamaica Invitational but should not dent his plans for the summer. They include running the 100m at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on July 24 and 25, and both the 100m and 200m at the World Championships in Berlin three weeks later.

In an interview last week, Bolt told Reuters that he was sure he could beat his own world record of 9.69 seconds for the 100 metres sprint. "I think I could definitely go faster - 9.5," he said. Then he upped the stakes further: "I think I could go 9.4, but I think the world stops at 9.4." ·