AFTER two years of uncertainty, Usain Bolt yesterday produced a typically gritty performance to beat Justin Gatlin in the 100m final at the World Championships with a lunge at the line.
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Gatlin, a renowned fast starter who has not lost over 100m or 200m since 2013 and has set personal bests for both distances – 9.74 and 19.57 – this season, pegged equal with Bolt out of the blocks.
But Bolt stepped up a gear in the final 50 metres and powered to the front, with Gatlin appearing to lose his form and composure as the finish line approached.
Gatlin, 33, finished second and Canadian Andre de Grasse and American Trayvon Bromell tied for third.
Bolt has maintained that he is running clean, and the crowd’s reaction at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing was strongly in his favor. For two years Justin Gatlin has been the undisputed king of sprinting as well as athletics’ most controversial character, but cometh the hour, cometh Usain Bolt – but by the narrowest of margins.
The usually laid back and jovial Bolt had looked more nervy than usual, but showed his class after an air of tension descended on the stadium where he won three Olympic golds seven years ago.
Michael Johnson, the 400m world record holder and BBC Sport athletics analyst, said Bolt had forced Gatlin into his stumble.
The world’s fastest man lined up against two-time drugs cheat Justin Gatlin and three other convicted dopers in what was officially the 100-metre final of the 2015 World Championships but had been dubbed a battle for the soul of the sport.
“After the semi-finals my coach (Glen Mills) said, “You are thinking about it too much”. I just stopped thinking about stuff, just relaxed and reminded myself that I’ve been on this stage too many times.
The Jamaican superstar pipped his American counterpart to gold in Beijing on Sunday by one hundredth of a second to retain his title with a winning time of 9.79s. That mark left the St. Petersburg, Fla., native waiting for the results of the final two semifinal races to see if he would qualify on time. It cost me the race.
Canadas Commonwealth Games victor Brianne Theisen-Eaton, the gold medal favourite coming into the competition, settled for silver with 6,554 while Latvian Laura Ikauniece-Admidina took bronze with a national record 6,516.
“A lot of people counted me out, ” Bolt said. “It’s a big deal”.
“I’ve been struggling, so for me, for it to come together at the right time, it’s a great victory”.
The final was even tougher – even with one of Bolt’s best starts in years. Bolt then not only saved the sport from some considerable embarrassment, he also did it with the style and pure competitiveness that have made him such a great champion.
Meanwhile, Gatlin, who has twice served doping bans, seemed to over-stride in the last 10m which lead to him losing balance across the line.
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“I had the momentum to lean forward but stumbled a little bit”.
