C'est Magnifique

The final for the men's 200-meter dash at the London Olympics is now less than nine months away, but it can't come soon enough for track fans.

Imagine if that race — slated for August 9, 2012 — were to feature Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell of Jamaica; a healthy Tyson Gay and Walter Dix of the U.S.; and the lanky Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre.

Would 19.3 be enough to win a medal? That almost seems like an absurd question, but then again.

In Thursday's New York Times, Christopher Clarey featured the 21-year-old Lemaitre, who ran 19.80 for third at the World Championships, but whose best times clearly lie ahead.

"I don't think any other sprinter on Earth has more upside than Lemaitre, since he runs the fastest of anyone doing that much wrong technique-wise," wrote Ato Boldon, referencing his 'heads-up' start, in an email to Clarey.

Both Boldon and Lemaitre's coach, Pierre Carraz, think that the lanky sprinter's best opportunity for global domination comes in the 200, not the 100 for which he has gained his early notoriety.

Clarey's feature is an interesting look at the sprinter, who found his niche after trying his hand at team sports. Lemaitre claims that he was never "collectively minded," and that he preferred the "every-man-for-himself" aspect of running.

Attending a university in Annecy, France, he recently cut his course load to leave adequate training time in the lead up to the Games.

And given Ato Boldon's take, that should be a scary thought for his opposition.