Usain Bolt remains on course for an unprecedented triple-triple, after the seven-time Olympic champion ran 20.28 seconds to win his 200m heat at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday (16 August).
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This past weekend, Gatlin ran a blistering 9.89 seconds in the 100 meter dash, but had to settle for silver as three-time gold medalist Usain Bolt pulled away from Gatlin in the last 30 meters with a time of 9.81.
” It’s my favourite event so I get nervous”.
He competes in the 200-meter event beginning Tuesday. “I never want to lose or do anything bad”.
This year I was hoping I would be in good shape when my coach told me they were going to put on a 300m at a Grand Prix meet.
Bolt said he was over his exertions in the blue riband 100m.
World-record holder Usain Bolt did not have almost the fastest time in the preliminary rounds of the men’s 200-meter dash, but that was partly because he slowed down so much near the finish line while leading his heat that he could have been pushing a grocery cart. I’ve recovered from the 100m. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s semi-finals”.
Unlike the frosty reception afforded him by a jeering Olympic Stadium crowd before the 100m heats and final, Gatlin was actually cheered in bright sunny conditions.
Not surprisingly, he did so, winning his heat with a time of 20.28.That was well off his world record of 19.19 as well as the day’s top time of 20.09 by Canada’s Andre De Grasse.
“This part between the 800m and the heats of the 1500m was always going to be the most hard part in qualifying for the semi-finals of the latter”.
Streaking across the semi-final, Bolt looks over his left shoulder and flashes a smile before easing past the finishing line, posting a time of 9.86 seconds.
“I’m not really a morning person, I just came out here to qualify and that’s what I did”.
“This is my preferred event to be honest”, said Blake, the 2012 silver medallist who missed most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with a hamstring injury.
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Afterward, Gatlin, 34, said on NBC that bouncing back from the 100 meters semifinals and final on Sunday was as much mental as physical.
