Usain Bolt, with a display of supreme confidence in his fastest time since the Olympic final at London 2012, has sealed another world championship double sprint gold with a dominant victory over Justin Gatlin who took silver.
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The Jamaican, who is the current world record holder in the 100m and 200m, won in a time of 19.55 seconds – his best time in the 200m in two years.
Gatlin came second in 19.74seconds while South African Anaso Jobodwana was third in 19.87sec, setting a country record in the process.
Lucky to escape with only his pride hurt, Bolt pondered getting his legs insured in case of future bumps and scrapes after winning his fourth consecutive world title in the 200m.
“I don’t know what’s going on!” When it comes to the 200 metres I am a different person, I was beaten there only once.
Seven years ago, Bolt started his fantastic run of gold at the Beijing Olympics and has not lost a major 200 race since. Bolt said of the cameraman.
The cameraman mounted a fixed railing and slipped backwards, shooting the Segway from under him into Bolt’s heels and making the newly-minted champion fall backwards. Bolt crashed to the ground before he got up and “quickly… walked away gingerly”.
Gatlin, meanwhile, said his age had showed in the race.
“I went in there with my game plan which my coach set for me – run the curve, attack him up the curve and keep holding on”, Gatlin said.
The 29-year-old got out of the blocks quicker than Gatlin on his inside and was already in front at the bend, where the American picked up speed and looked like he might threaten the champion.
“They tried to kill me!”
When asked whether his clapping after the race was applause for Bolt, Gatlin said: “I was clapping for such a good competition”.
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Bolt enjoyed a different interaction with the crowd when he got his medal – dancing, filming himself with a handheld camera, applauding back when the fans cheered for him. That he wasn’t at his best following a season disrupted by injury makes it all the more impressive.
