Bolt, back at the Olympic Stadium where he won three golds at London 2012 and in his final race before Rio, was introduced to the crowd ahead of the event while being paraded around the newly-laid track standing in the back of a Nissan pick-up truck, an under-stated entry by his standards.
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Americans LaShawn Merritt and Justin Gatlin top the 200m list this year with 19.74 and 19.75 seconds respectively.
The world and Olympic 100m, 200m and 4x100m champion, who turns 30 on August 21, withdrew from the Jamaican championship last month due to a muscle strain, reports Efe.
Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt won his first 200 metres for the year on 22 July at the Anniversary Games.
“I’m getting there, I’m not fully in shape, I need more work”. I could see the time counting down and just thought, “Oh my god, we are going to do it”. “I came out and for the first one in a while the execution wasn’t ideal but it’s my first one so I can’t complain”, he said.
“It wasn’t ideal. I came off the corner trying to hold my form. The execution up there wasn’t ideal but it was my first run so I can’t complain”.
Keni Harrison also looked more than ready for Brazil by breaking a 28-year record in the 100-meters hurdles in London on Friday.
However, it was quickly corrected to 12.20, one hundredth of a second faster than the mark set by Bulgaria’s Yordanka Donkova in 1988 – four years before Harrison was born.
“After prelims (Friday), I finally got my confidence back”, said Harrison, who had been plunged into despair by her failure to punch her Rio ticket at the United States trials in Eugene, Oregon, earlier this month. “I’ve always respected her, we’ve come through the ranks together, through high school and everything, so I know what she’s been through. I came out here with vengeance to show what I could do”.
“I’ve always said I run for times, I run for places”.
Brianna Rollins (12.57), Kristi Castlin (12.59) and Ali Nia (12.63), all Rio-bound after finishing 1-2-3 in the USA trials, finished in the same order, behind Harrison on Friday.
However, Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu still appears to have some work to do before Rio as she finished fifth in the women’s 400m in a modest 51.05, behind Shaunae Miller who set the best time in the world this year, 49.55. U.S. champion Brianna Rollins, 12.57 was next best with Kristi Castlin third in 12.59. The pressure got to me on the day.
“I didn’t think like that at trials. I laughed when I heard it, I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin”. “So I really want to try to go after the 200-meter world record this year”.
“I wanted to give up so bad, but I knew (competing) was the only way I would feel better”. It’s Kelly Holmes’s Olympic gold medal record.
Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon rival, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, also showed that her form was improving nicely as she cleared an outdoor personal best of 1.95m in the high jump to finish third behind Ruth Beitia from Spain.
“At the end of the day when you command a certain power in track and field, sometimes you can exercise it”, he said, alluding to preferential treatment for Bolt.
In the pole vault, the Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie was the comfortable victor, his mark of 5.90m being 7cm clear of American Sam Kendricks.
The night’s action kicked off in style with Britain’s 4x100m relay runners breaking their own national record.
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The quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita scorched round the track to claim an emphatic victory in 41.81.
