Jamaican team blame long delay
Gatlin blames television scheduling for Bolt injury
USAIN Bolt’s dramatic and inglorious end to his toplevel career was the fault of world championship organisers, his furious teammates claimed.
The 30-year-old 100m and 200m world record-holder collapsed on the London Stadium track while anchoring Jamaica in the final of the 4 x 100m on Saturday as a cramp gripped his leg.
But his teammates complained that his problem was caused by organisers keeping the relay teams waiting in the cold before their race as several medal ceremonies were held.
“I think they were holding us too long in the call room. The walk was too long. Usain was really cold. In fact, Usain said to me, ‘Yohan, I think this is crazy. 40 minutes and two medal presentations before our run’,” said Yohan Blake.
“We kept warming up and waiting, then warming up and waiting,” added the 2011 100m world champion, who also won Olympic relay gold in 2012 and last year with Bolt. “I think it got the better of us. We were over warm.
“To see a true legend, a true champion go out there and struggling like that.
“The race was 10 minutes late and we were kept 40 minutes.”
Bolt may not have led Jamaica to a glorious finale anyway, though, as he took the baton well behind eventual winners Great Britain and the US.
But Jamaica’s 110m hurdles world champion Omar McLeod – who ran the first leg – likewise pointed the finger at organisers for denying his country’s greatest star a more fitting swansong.
“It’s heart wrenching,” said McLeod, who is also the Olympic champion.
“It was ridiculous, we were there around 45 minutes waiting outside. I think they had three medal ceremonies before we went out, so we were really trying our hardest to stay warm and keep upbeat. — AFP JUSTIN Gatlin agreed with the complaints of the Jamaican relay team that a long wait before their 4x100m final at the World Championships on Saturday contributed to the injury suffered by Usain Bolt in his last race.
Bolt, having been passed the baton by Yohan Blake, was in third behind Great Britain and the United States, who eventually won gold and silver but pulled up almost 50 metres from the line and fell to the track.
Jamaica’s team doctor later said that the 30-year-old had suffered a hamstring cramp.
Bolt’s teammates complained that a 45-minute wait in the call room before the race had hampered their preparations.
“I think they were holding us too long in the call room,” said Blake.
“Usain was really cold. In fact Usain said to me ‘Yohan, I think this is crazy’. Forty minutes and two medal presentations before our run.”
Gatlin, who beat Bolt to gold in the 100m last Saturday, agreed with the complaints and laid the blame at the television scheduling for the event.
When asked if he thought that contributed to Bolt’s injury, the 35year-old said: “I believe so.” — Reuters