Usain Bolt put down a marker ahead of the Rio Olympics as he won the 200 meters at the Anniversary Games with a time of 19.89 seconds and fired a warning to his American rivals, accusing them of disrespect.
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Erasing all doubts about his fitness, the six-time Olympic champion surged to take the gold in his first 200m race of the year, finishing in 19:84.
Kendra Harrison broke the 28-year-old 100m hurdles world record at the London Diamond League meeting but she won’t be able to run at the Rio Olympics.
But with the depth in the United States (the top 7 women and top 24 times this year are American), even the fastest hurdler of all-time has to bring her A game at the Trials to make the team. Brianna Rollins was second in 12.57 seconds, while Kristi Castlin was third at 12.59 seconds and Nia Ali took fourth in 12.63 seconds.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has said the recent decision to uphold the ban on Russian athletes from participating in next month’s Rio Olympics will act as a strong deterrent to stop athletes taking performance-enhancing drugs.
“I am at a loss for words; I’m in shock”.
Harrison was a sure-fired favourite before the American trials to make the US team and win gold at Rio after running the second-fastest 100 metres hurdles ever in May. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, defended it, a world record-holder”.
Like Bolt, Gemili has been struck by the plague of the hamstring injury, tearing the muscle last June and only returning to competitive action in February this year.
“I laughed when I heard it, I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin”.
“I’m getting there. I’m not fully in shape”, Bolt said afterward.
She ran both events in college but her best of 54.09 seconds in the longer race is more than a second off the world record.
“I felt it was a joke”, Bolt said.
A world record and two British records lit up a dazzling Friday night of athletics.
There were a couple of victories for British women on the fast newly-laid track: Laura Muir in the 1,500 as well as the quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita in the 4X100-meter relay.
A disappointing men’s 100m final was won by Jimmy Vicaut in 10.02, with the Frenchman having dipped below 10 seconds in the heats.
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Reigning Olympic and two-time world champion Christian Taylor made the most of his final tune-up before Rio by winning the men’s triple jump with a world-leading effort of 17.78 meters, bettering his own season best of 17.76 meters from the Olympic Trials.
