Bolt wins ‘slow’ 100m
OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (AP): USAIN BOLT started the European leg of his final season before retirement with a victory in the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meeting.
At the meet, where he has most frequently competed in his career with nine appearances, Bolt reeled in the rest of the field after a trademark slow start to cross the finish line in 10.06 seconds.
However, he had to hold off a strong challenge from Yunier Perez of Cuba, edging him by 0.03., while Jak Ali Harvey of Turkey was third in 10.26.
Bolt’s performance fell short of his season’s best of 10.03, which was clocked at the 100 and 200 world record holder’s final race in his native Jamaica on June 11.
UNHAPPY WITH HIS TIME
“I’m not happy with the time,” he said. “It wasn’t a good race, it was pretty slow.”
Bolt mentioned a back problem that slowed him, but downplayed its significance.
“I’m going to see my doctor (in Germany) soon, I know he will fix every problem,” he said. “All I need to do now is just to train hard and focus on getting myself into great shape. I’m not worried about that. It’s just my back, it’s always an issue. I didn’t get injured, that’s a key thing.”
The eight-time Olympic champion is preparing for the IAAF World Championships in London in August, his final major competition.
In an emotional farewell after the race, fans held up coloured cards that formed a huge Jamaican flag in the stands, with a giant message: ‘THANX UB’. The Jamaican anthem followed, with Bolt singing along.
Other winners yesterday were Mo Farah and Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, who led home the rarely-contested 300 metres in a world’s best time of 30.81.
Farah claimed victory in the 10,000m in what was likely one of his last races on the track. Farah held off a challenge from Kenyan Mathew Kimeli, surging past him with 200m to go to win in 27:12.09. Kimeli clocked 27:14.43.
Van Niekerk, Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m, won the 300m inside the previous best time of 30.85, set by Michael Johnson in 2000, in Pretoria, South Africa. Isaac Makwala of Botswana was second in 31.44, ahead of another South African, Clarence Munyai, who clocked 31.61.
I’m not worried about that. It’s just my back, it’s always an issue. I didn’t get injured, that’s a key thing.