Gatlin has run 19.57secs this year while Bolt only raced over the distance once in his injury-hit summer before arriving in Beijing, an unimpressive 20.13secs in New York two months ago.
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But attention will inevitably focus on Jamaica’s Bolt, who narrowly beat two-time doping offender Gatlin in Sunday’s 100m final to strike a symbolic blow for clean athletics.
“I’m feeling exhausted and my legs are sore – just from the fact it was an up and down season”. Bolt told BBC Sport immediately after the race that this means a lot because of struggling in all seasons. It cost me the race.
While agreeing that he was an example that it was possible to race clean, through “hard work and dedication”, Bolt was quick to avoid other questions about whether his victory over Gatlin was a symbolic strike against athletes who have doped. Also going through will be Japanese teenager Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, the 16-year-old clocking 20.35sec behind Gatlin in an impressive first outing in the worlds.
Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, completed the World Championship sprint double in Berlin (2009) and Moscow (2013).
The 23-year-old from Brampton, Ont., ran a personal-best 20.18 seconds to finish second in his heat. Five times this year he has run faster than 9.80, but when the pressure was on and the adrenaline blasting through his veins he wasn’t able to produce his very best.
“I came to add to my legendary status”, the Jamaican said. I’m not expecting him to just turn up and not compete because he’s a great competitor. It was a stunning achievement but athletics has a long way to go before it can claim to have been saved.
The event was easily won by Briton Greg Rutherford, the Olympic champion setting a season best of 8.41 metres.
Ethiopian favourite Genzebe Dibaba stormed to the women’s world 1500m title with a sumptuous display of controlled running.
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi, American duo Jenny Simpson and Shannon Rowbury, and Kenyan Faith Kipyegon look set for a battle for lower steps of the podium.
On Monday night, he shouted down someone heckling his mother during the 100-meter medals ceremony – a widely retweeted story that has gotten him some good publicity.
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Olympic champion Rudisha, whose win in London was matched by an incredible world record, will be up against it in the two-lap event. Bett clocked a world-leading time of 47.79 seconds, with Russian Denis Kudryavtsev taking silver in a national record of 48.05.
