Agencies
BEIJING, AUGUST 22
Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin moved a step closer to their highly anticipated Beijing showdown when both eased through the 100 meters heats on the opening day of the world championships on Saturday.
American Gatlin underlined his dominance of the sprints this season by storming to victory in the sixth heat in 9.83 seconds, the best time of the day at the Bird’s Nest stadium.
World record holder Bolt, whose season has been disrupted by joint problems, responded by winning the final heat in 9.96, a time which ranked fifth behind Gatlin, American Trayvon Bromell (9.91), France’s Jimmy Vicaut (9.92) and Asafa Powell (9.95).
The Olympic and world champion knows that fast times in heats do not win gold medals, however, and was satisfied with going under 10 seconds to reach the semi-finals, which take place along with the final on Sunday.
“It was okay,” said the 29-year-old Jamaican. “The execution was okay too. I still have some adjustments, just have to concentrate on my technique now.“I know Gatlin was running very easy but that is how it is. I am not worried, I want to get faster in the semi-final and get something more in the final.”
With the sport in the midst of a crisis over doping allegations, the blue riband sprint has been billed as a battle for the soul of athletics with Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, cast as the villain.
A few boos tumbled down from the stands as he was announced before his heat but the 33-year-old former Olympic and world champion showed his usual focus to win his heat in style.
“My coach told me to go out there and make sure to qualify, I felt safe after like 50 meters so did not have to push it too much,” Gatlin said.
“We are here to do our business. It is not about individuals. It’s not basketball or football but we do it for our event, for the 100 meters. We want to show our best.”
A measure of the depth of the problem of doping in the sprints came when the first three heats were won by men who have also served or completed suspensions for using banned substances in the last two years.
Former world record holder Powell added to his unmatched collection of sub-10 second runs to win the opening heat, while 2007 world champion Tyson Gay was easing up when he crossed the line to win the second in 10.11.
Nigerian-born Qatari Femi Ogunode won the third in 9.99.
Mo Farah wins 10,000m World Championships gold
Beijing National Stadium, China Dates: 22-30 August Mo Farah made it six global distance titles in a row as he retained his 10,000m crown in classic style to win Britain’s first gold of the 2015 World Championships.
Seven years ago in this stadium Farah crashed out of the 2008 Olympics after failing to qualify from the heats of the 5,000m.
But the 32-year-old Olympic champion saw off the determined team effort of his three Kenyan challengers before producing a last lap of 54.15 seconds to come away from Geoffrey Kamworor and Paul Tanui in the home straight.
It is a familiar sight now with Farah, an athlete transformed from the undisciplined also-ran of 2008, but it was no less impressive: a last 800m in 1 min 56.01 secs and a last mile of 4:06.6 to win in 27: 01.13.
Kamworor took silver and Tanui bronze with Farah’s training partner Galen Rupp fading into fifth, the two Kenyans and team-mate Bedan Muchiri attempting to negate Farah’s fast finish by pushing the pace early on.
But in warm, sticky conditions – 25 C and 60% humidity despite the race finishing after 10pm local time – Farah sat in behind his rivals as they produced a series of laps around 64 seconds and then kept closer order still as the pace dropped away in the heat.
The Briton went briefly to the front with four and a half laps to go and then again with 1200 metres left, before surging definitively with 500m to go, a lead he would never relinquish despite a stumble as he overtook a lapped runner.
With a series of allegations made against his coach Alberto Salazar – there is no suggestion Farah has done anything wrong – this has been a difficult summer for the man who won the 10,000m and 5,000m double at both the last Worlds in Moscow and the London Olympics. But Farah, an uncomplicated man, has retreated into what he knows best: disciplined training, tactically perfect racing.
And with the 5,000m final in a week’s time, he has the chance to leave Beijing as arguably his nation’s greatest ever athlete.
