The clamour to congratulate him went on for quite some time as he embarked on an extended lap of honour, much to the delight of those who had stayed behind to greet him.
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“I thought the cornering wasn’t ideal”. “It’s all about me getting a good start and executing right and stuff like that”.
“I’m definitely happy I could come here and finish the race with no injuries”, said Bolt.
With dark clouds hanging over the Olympic Games, Usain Bolt is ready to light up Rio 2016.
“On his lap of honour I yelled that I loved him at the top of my voice and he looked at me and pointed and when he did he threw his spikes directly at me. It’s always a great load of fun”. Bolt ranks 32nd of Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes – a long-term contract with sports brand PUMA contributes to his estimated annual earnings of $30 million.
Only unlike Bolt, Harrison is not going to the Olympics.
Following her omission for selection, Harrison had spoken of turning her disappointment into motivation, stating that trying to get Diamond League points and aiming to get the world record, helped her train harder.
“Not making the Olympic Games was upsetting”, said Harrison.
“The key thing is I came out here and won but I’m always hungry for more”.
But on Friday she clocked 12.20 seconds, taking one hundredth of a second off the mark of 12.21 set in August 1988 by Bulgaria’s Yordanka Donkova. I remember after she doubled in Russian Federation (winning 100- and 200-meter gold at the 2013 Moscow World Championships) she asked me, ‘How do you do it?’ and I was like, ‘Yo, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to step up and do great things’. “This is where history is going to be made, I’m excited to put on a show for the entire world to see”.
Harrison, 23, was already the fastest woman in the world this year, but will not be at next month’s Olympics after finishing only sixth in the U.S. trials.
Harrison will still be cheering on her teammates in Rio.
Brianna Rollins (12.57), Kristi Castlin (12.59) and Ali Nia (12.63), all Rio-bound after finishing 1-2-3 in the U.S. trials, were left trailing by Harrison on this occasion.
Kenya’s Silas Kiplagat was the man who signed the famous winners’ book after winning the Emsley Carr Mile in 3.53.04, while Briton Jake Wightman smashed his personal best with a 3.54.20 run in fourth.
“To make myself feel better, I told myself to just make the team instead of the same mindset I’ve had all year, which is to dominate”. “I felt it was a disrespect the fact they think I would back out of a trials. I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin”.
Earlier this season, Harrison ran a 12.24, but finished sixth at the trials.
For the London 2012 heptathlon champion Ennis-Hill, this was ideal preparation ahead of the heptathlon competition. At the ground where he won triple gold four years ago and has never lost a race, his very presence was enough to have those inside what will become West Ham United’s new home in the coming weeks working themselves up into a lather.
Instead, Harrison will have to settle for her record-breaking night at the London Diamond League meet being her crowning moment of the summer.
Elsewhere, Laura Muir broke Kelly Holmes’ British 1,500m record with a hugely impressive run, pulling well clear of the field to come home in 3:57.49, winning by more than three seconds and eclipsing double Olympic champion Holmes’ mark of 3:57.90 from the Athens Olympics in 2004. I definitely feel in better shape than I was previous year. “I had to give it all I had”.
The quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita scorched round the track to claim an emphatic victory in 41.81.
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Brazil was second in 42.59secs France were third in 42.84sec.
