De Grasse is known as a 200-metre specialist, but the same can be said for Bolt, who set the world standard back in 2009 in 19.19 seconds. ‘So, that’s why the race was slow. “When I looked at the images on my camera and saw he was smiling and looking in my direction I was like “Wow, this is special”, he said. So Im going to run with that one.
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With the silver, Gatlin now holds five Olympic medals overall.
“I knew the first round was going to be in the sun, early morning”, Bolt told NBC after his qualifying race.
Wednesday’s semi-finals will decide who reaches the final of the 200m, which will take place at around 1:am Irish time on Thursday.
Fellow American LaShawn Merritt, bronze medalist in the 400m final, ran 20.15 to win his heat with experienced French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre also through in second. Unlike the men’s 100 meters, which staged the semifinals and finals only 90 minutes apart to accommodate national television, the 200 is spread out over three days.
Many speculated the Summer Olympics in Rio will be Bolt’s last.
Great Britain is third in the medal tally with 16 gold, 17 silver and 8 bronze. With two gold medals in each event he is trying to achieve “Triple Treble”.
Chris Turner of the IAAF said the tight schedule has been used in the past – most notably, at the Atlanta Games in 1996, when Donovan Bailey won gold and set a world record. “When it comes to it, I guess I’ve given him his closest races in all his career, so to be able to say that at the age I’m at right now, it’s a true honour, guys”.
“Jamaica will truly honour Bolt and the rest of the team for what they have achieved”, she said.
“I’ve recovered but I’m a bit exhausted”, Bolt told reporters.
Mitchell-Blake also feels he is primed to contend alongside Gemili in the fiercely competitive semi-finals that will come up on Wednesday night.
Bolt’s countryman Yohan Blake has run the second fastest 200m time in history but is only fifth favourite for the final. I didn’t want to go out.
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Among the “top three” photos Spencer has ever taken, the Bolt shot will be entered into competitions, including for a Pulitzer Prize, Spencer tells THR.
