Faster than a speeding bullet

Stop the presses. World records fell Friday in track and field and swimming.

Defending Olympic champion Justin Gatlin set a world record in track's most prestigious event, the 100-meter dash, posting a blistering time of 9.76 at the Qatar Grand Prix meet in Doha, Qatar. Gatlin's mark edged the record of 9.77 that Asafa Powell of Jamaica set last June.

At the French national swimming championships, Laure Manaudou broke Janet Evans' world record in the 400-meter freestyle. Evans' mark had stood for 18 years, which is an eternity in swimming.

Many sports fans pay attention to track and swimming only during the Olympics. Others notice only when a world record is broken. The cynical care only when an athlete is busted for steroids.

Not me. Track and field has always been one of my favorite sports, and I've grown attached to swimming in recent years after covering it at the Sydney and Athens Olympics.

I suppose one reason these sports appeal to me is their simplicity. At their core, they're just athletes running or swimming as fast as they can.

Gatlin claimed the title as World's Fastest Man when he won gold at the Athens Olympics. But until now, he had never held a world record.

"I guess it hasn't hit me yet," said Gatlin on a teleconference with American reporters after the race. "I'm astounded. I'm just speechless about it."

He also hinted that the best is yet to come. Most track and field records are set later in the summer after athletes have had more time to train. Gatlin set the earliest record in the 100 meters since 1921.

"I didn't think it would come so soon, but it has," he said. "I think I can run 9.74 or 9.73."