dangerous sport, and one small circuit. Fifty horses deead in 26 years.

 Making history was not a problem for Jamaicas Usain Bolt. . But as he is quickly finding out going into the London 2012 Olympic Games, his chase of history this time around has potential pitfalls all around it.The 25-year-olds resume is sparkling with achievements. At Beijing 2008, he not only won both the mens 100m and 200m gold medals, he did so by setting world records in each. Along with his Jamaican teammates, Bolt also captured the mens 4x100m relay in world record time. Just a budding star at the time, the triple gold medal feat made him an instant star.At the 2009 World Championships, he raised the bar. He not only set world records again in the 100m and 200m, but the numbers that showed up on the clock once he crossed the finish line were unseen in the sport. His winning time of 9.58 seconds in the 100m made him the first human to ever break the 9.6s barrier, and his 19.19s time in the 200m was the first to eclipse the 19.20s mark.  Usain Bolt The Jamaicans again wrapped up the meet in style, breaking their own world record in the 4x100m relay.Bolts success had people talking about the possibilities for London 2012, and the times being thrown around, once considered ridiculous, suddenly seemed to be within his reach: 9.4s in the 100m, and 19s in the 200m.He has not shied away from the talk. In fact, Bolt embraces the expectations."It would be a wonderful feat to run 9.4 and I think people are looking forward to me running 9.4," Bolt told reporters ahead of a meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic this season. "If 9.40 is possible, I am the one to do it."But Bolt has recently been losing his aura of invincibility, and, for the first time since his meteoric rise to stardom, the Jamaican appears vulnerable.At the Jamaican Olympic Trials in June, Bolt was beaten by training partner and reigning world champion Yohan Blake in both the 100m and 200m.Both results carried intrigue: in the 100m, Blakes winning time of 9.75s was the fastest in the world this year. And in the 200m, Blake accomplished a feat no analyst thought was possible, when he chased down Bolt and raced past him for the win.Immediately following that loss, Bolt lay on his back on the track and received treatment for a sore right hamstring. It was enough to make him withdraw from a meet in Monaco the next week – which would have been his final tune-up before London 2012.He has downplayed the severity of the injury, attributing it to a stiff back, which he says has been worked out—though his practice sessions have been largely restricted from any outside eyes. "My fitness (at the trials) was all right, I guess, but I wasnt at the best," Bolt told reporters as he met the press in London Thursday."I cant complain. It was all right. Its always a wake up call to get beaten. For me its all about getting it right on the day. Im all right (now)."Ultimately, questions about his health and psyche will be answered once he takes to the track at London 2012 and attempts an historic repeat of his triple Olympic gold. While he understands the significance of what he is trying to accomplish, Bolt appears to be cool under the pressure. "I wouldnt say Im under pressure," Bolt said. "Im just focused on winning. I dont think itll be the end of the world (if I dont win), but Im not going to think about losing at any point in time. "I know what it takes to be a champion. All I can do is focus and get it done." . Not only is this Britains first gold of the Games, it is also Great Britains first-ever Olympic gold in womens rowing. . She said it happened on a whim, inspired by a newspaper article with the headline: "Boomers believe theyve found a fountain of youth in a syringe." She said it happened in her posh master bathroom, which she described as being "like the size of a kitchen. . The 32-year-old Blake succumbed to fellow former top-five star Nikolay Davydenko, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours on the hardcourts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park. The 2008 Miami champion Davydenko will meet world No. . It doesnt get much bigger than that on the NBA landscape and it will take place on Saturday in South Florida when the Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics in the deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals. . I am coaching a midget house league hockey team and we go on the road.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss British tennis fan Nick Newlife, chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede, Teemu Selanne, and Devils enforcer Cam Janssen. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is up to Nick Newlife, the British tennis fan who this week became far more famous in death than he ever was when he was alive. You see back in 2003, Newlife made a $2,400 bet that Roger Federer would set a record for victories at Wimbledon, at odds of 66 to 1. When Newlife passed away six years later at age 59, he left his ticket to Oxfam, an international charity dedicated to fighting poverty. And last Sunday, that ticket became worth more than $161,000. We may never know more about Nick Newlife than these two things: he had a good heart and exceptional eye for greatness in tennis. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede, where once again horses are dying at the supposed greatest outdoor show on earth. Three horses died in a chuckwagon crash Thursday, one was injured Friday, and all this coming after safety regulations were altered after six horses were killed there in 2010. Id love to tell you this is all new, but 30 or so years ago I happened to cover chuckwagon racing in Alberta and was witness to a number of horses being killed - all in the name of sport and entertaininment. But understand, this isnt horse racing. This is one small, dangerous sport, and one small circuit. Fifty horses deead in 26 years. . Thats enough to convince me its time to scratch chuckwagon racing from the Stampede program. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: Because we all deserve a smile, my thumb is up to Teemu Selanne who returns for yet another season in Anaheim. No player radiates more conspicuous joy than Selanne, who is 42 going on 32. He does not defy age as much as wink at it with his annual will-he-or-wont-he-retire bit before he comes back for more. Selanne scored 26 goals last season, not bad for a winger who seemed washed up before the last lockout. Anaheim GM Brian Burke made a $1 million free-agent investment in 2005, and Selanne rewarded him with a 40-goal season. The Finnish Flash has been paying off for the Ducks, and hockey fans, ever since. James Cybulski, TSN: My thumb is down to Devils enforcer Cam Janssen for his ridiculous comments on a radio show a few days ago. Janssen has since apologized, but not before reminding people how extreme some cases of homophobia still exists in sports. Trying to be funny is one thing, but insinuating that youll beat someone up because of ones ***ual orientation is downright neanderthal to me. Last I checked, its 2012 right? The NHL warned players after an incident last year that this sort of behaviour wont be tolerated anymore. In recent months, several of the games biggest stars have leant their names to the You Can Play project in attempt to eliminate this sort of attitude, but Janssens comments shows theres more work to be done. ' ' '