Much to the surprise of nobody, Usain Bolt booked his spot in the Olympic 200m final over night, clocking his fastest time of the season in the process.
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Unlike Gatlin and Blake, Britain’s Adam Gamili will be joining Bolt in the final.
Bolt still managed to win the event comfortably and qualify for the 200m final, keeping his “treble-treble” dream alive.
In a game of cat and mouse, Bolt let Canada’s Andre De Grasse remain on his shoulder right up to the line.
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, right, gestures to Canada’s Andre De Grasse after they finished 1-2 in their men’s 200-meter semifinal heat Wednesday at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.
At the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, Bolt won all three competitions he entered, sealing gold with world record times in the 100m (9.69s), the 200m (19.30s) and the 4x100m (37.10s).
“That was really unnecessary”, Bolt said. I said, ‘What are you doing, it’s the semifinal.’ But I think he wanted to push me.
“This year I’ve believed a bit more”.
It’s likely that the 21-year-old will claim silver, with him having to run a personal best just to keep up with Bolt in the semis as he once again strolled to victory.
American LaShawn Merritt, who, like Gatlin, has served a doping suspension, was the only other athlete under 20 seconds and he looked strong and comfortable going into Thursday’s final.
You could feel the energy heat up in Rio as numerous Olympics’ brightest stars took center stage in various track and field events on Wednesday.
He said before the Games: “I believe in myself fully that I can go to Rio and hopefully get a medal”. Surely another gold medal is on the horizon for the sprint king.
“I definitely think I can go after the world record; I definitely feel that”.
“But it’s all about executing right, running the corner efficiently, then coming into the straight and just running the flawless race”.
“I’ve been to three in the span of 12 years. I will be hoping for lane six, or seven maybe, to be able to run as smooth as I can”.
Not only was the finish EPIC, but the Jamaican gave the world a HIGHlarious moment when he turned to the second place runner and gave him a smile and finger wag immediately after crossing the finish – even though both men qualified for the final!
“My feeling was, ‘If they can do it, we can do it, ‘” said Ludwig, who finished fifth in 2012 and was in the stands for the men’s final in London. The two will participate in Thursday’s semifinal, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET, and will be seeking an appearance in the final, which takes place later in the day at 3:00 p.m. ET.
“Everybody’s in shock”, Bolt told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The Olympic men’s 100-meter final might be the most exciting 10 seconds in sports but it is at twice the distance, the 200, that Bolt is at his most brilliant.
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But Brazil were disappointed not to have added a gold medal to their tally, after their duo composed of Agatha and Barbara lost in the beach volleyball final to Germany.
