Everybody waited with bated breath for the biggest moment of the 2016 Anniversary Games at the London Olympic Stadium on Friday night when the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, would be taking the stage. As he hit the straight and the crowd expected the sort of surge that brought him three Olympic golds on the same track four years ago, it didn’t happen.
Advertisement
“I’m getting there”, said Bolt.
Christian Taylor showed he is rounding into form at just the right time ahead of Rio, the American Olympic champion winning the triple jump by almost a metre in a season’s best of 17.78m. I’m happy with my execution and hopefully my coach is.
“But you can’t forget – is it harder for me to win my first Olympics or is it harder for me to defend? I’m just really happy and all the glory goes to God”, she later reporters.
But, on a balmy Friday night in London, the fastest man in the world played second fiddle to Kendra Harrison, a God-fearing hurdler from Tennessee, at the London Diamond League meet.
Kendra Harrison was disappointed when she didn’t make the US team for this year’s Olympic Games in Rio, but her consolation prize is nothing to sniff at.
Brianna Rollins, Kristi Castlin and Nia Ali finished as the top three at trials, and will represent the U.S.at the Rio Olympics beginning on August 5.
Her joyful reaction, which is now making its round on social media, came after the stadium clock initially put her time at 12.57 then readjusted it to the new record.
The Briton was never threatened in a celebrational procession, running solo for the second half of the race and putting in a late burst to cross the line in 12.59.29 – the fastest time in the world this year. Teenager Morgan Lake, who will compete in the high jump in Rio, achieved a season’s best 1.92m.
“I’m not fully in shape”.
Third place went to Katarina Johnson-Thompson thanks to a personal best 1.95m clearance.
Now, with the injury scare behind him, Bolt can direct all his energy to repeating his gold medal-winning performances from the last two Olympics and help Jamaica’s medal count climb.
The quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Daryl Neita and Dina Asher-Smith smashed the competition with an outstanding demonstration of speed. “To run the British record is sensational”.
The report also said Russia’s secret service and top sporting authorities conspired to cover up widespread doping, substituting doping-tainted samples with clean ones during the Winter Games in Russian Federation.
The 23-year-old said: “I’m over the moon with that”.
Keni Harrison also looked more than ready for Brazil by breaking a 28-year record in the 100-meters hurdles in London on Friday. It’s great to have.
“For me I felt it was a joke, I felt it was a disrespect they think I’d back out of a trials”, he said.
“Sorry Kelly”, said the jubilant Scot. “I’ve always said I run for times, I run for places, I run for medals”.
Advertisement
Someone who can beat Bolt to one record is his fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
