Usain Bolt advances to 100-meter semifinals in his final championships
The finish line for Usain Bolt's transcendent career is just days away, but the Jamaican superstar and world's fastest man still has a few final steps.
He took the first of them on Friday in first-round heats of the 100 meters at the IAAF world track and field championships in London.
Bolt won his heat to advance to the semifinals, as he has done so often in his career: Slower out of the blocks than his competition, behind at the halfway point, in front when it mattered. He won in 10.07 seconds, easing up at the end.
“It was a slow start,” Bolt said. “I had to push a little bit to get back in the race.”
The crowd, as usual, loved every second Bolt was on the track.
It was brilliant,” Bolt said. “They come out in their numbers.”
His top competition, Christian Coleman (10.01) and Justin Gatlin (10.05) of the USA and Yohan Blake (10.13) of Jamaica also advanced. The other expected top contender, Andre DeGrasse of Canada, withdrew from the championships because of injury.
Bolt, who turns 31 on Aug. 21, has not run particularly fast this season — his best time entering this week was 9.95 — but he has been mediocre before only to turn it up at championship meets.
Bolt will run in the semifinals, and presumably, the final on Saturday, then a week later he is expected to sprint off into the sunset in his final race, anchoring Jamaica in the 4x100 relay.
Bolt has said repeatedly that this will be his final global championship, and he will try to cap a career that has been unprecedented and unlikely to ever be repeated.
He owns eight Olympic gold medals and 11 world championship golds. Since 2008, when he set his first world record, he has not lost a championship race, and he has collected 19 gold medals in 21 opportunities at 100, 200 and 4x100. The only two times he has not won gold in that stretch: The 100 at the 2011 worlds, when he was disqualified for a false start; and the 2008 Olympic 4x100, a gold that Jamaica won subsequently stripped because a teammate tested positive for banned substances.
In the only final of the day, Mo Farah of Great Britain won his 10th consecutive global distance title, taking gold in the 10,000 meters, just as he had done at the 2012 London Olympics, to the sustained, race-long roar of the home crowd.
It was his third world title, adding to his two Olympic gold medals. He as the same tally over 5,000 meters.
The combined forces from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia tried to shake him in a fast run but there was no stopping his final kick as he won gold in a season leading 26 minutes, 49.51 seconds despite a near-trip with 300 meters to go.
Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took silver and Paul Tanui of Kenya got bronze.
The last time Farah missed out on a major title was when he finished second in the 10,000 at the 2011 world championships. Ever since, nothing but gold.
Also Friday on Day 1:
►In a special ceremony to upgrade athletes who initially finished behind medalists later caught for doping, the U.S. women’s 4x400-meter relay team finally got its gold from the 2013 Moscow worlds.
“It is really important that we get them into the right hands,” IAAF president Sebastian Coe said. “It is what we are celebrating tonight.”
Britain ended up getting silver in that 4x400 relay, followed by France with bronze.
American runner Francena McCorory, who was one of those to get gold, also was upgraded to bronze from the 400-meter race from the 2011 worlds in Daegu, South Korea.
Other bronze medals went to the British 4x400 relay teams from the 2009 and 2011 worlds, and to Stephanie Ann McPherson of Jamaica in the 400 from the 2013 worlds.
►Rio silver medalist Sandi Morris of the USA qualified easily, without a miss, in the women's pole vault. U.S. teammates Jenn Suhr, who won Olympic gold in London five years earlier, and Emily Grove failed to make a height. The final is Sunday.
►Defending champion Genzebe Dibaba won her heat in the 1,500 to qualify for Saturday’s semifinals. Behind Dibaba, Caster Semenya remained on track for her middle-distance double by coasting through in second place.
All three Americans also advanced: Jenny Simpson qualified automatically, and Kate Grace and Sara Vaughn qualified on time.
►Olympic long jump champion Jeff Henderson failed to qualify. Jarrion Lawson will be the lone American to advance to the final.
Contributing: The Associated Press