Track and field still waiting for ‘The Next Usain Bolt’
london — If track and field’s wildest fantasy — ‘The Next Usain Bolt’ — really is out there somewhere, he most certainly was not in the vicinity of the world championships on Thursday.
Eight men lined up for the final of the 200 metres, trying to become the first sprinter other than the Jamaican great to win the world title at that distance since 2007. Among them was Isaac Makwala, the Botswana runner who became a celebrity of sorts with his soap opera-like story of being barred from the track meet with an alleged case of stomach flu, only to be readmitted for his shot at glory.
There was Wayde van Niekerk, the South African who has a 400-metre title under his belt from earlier in the week and certainly possesses the running credentials to be touted as the next great sprint champion.
Van Niekerk, who holds the world record at 400 metres, was trying to become the first person since Michael Johnson in 1995 to complete the 200-400 double at the worlds. How difficult that quest really is became evident the night before when Van Niekerk, coming down from the high of his 400 win, struggled in the 200 semifinals and barely squeezed into the final.
Though many are looking to him to occupy the mantle Bolt is leaving — and Van Niekerk says he’ll try Bolt’s specialty, the 100-200 double, in the future — the runner himself got a crash course in how hard it will be to take it.
“They made me realise it’s not going to be a walk in the park,” he said after capturing silver in a photo finish over Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.
Makwala, meanwhile, could have put an exclamation point on his drama with a medal, but was never a factor. A week full of uncertainty and being hounded 24-7 by TV cameras, to say nothing of the illness he may or may not have had (he claims he was never sick), clearly took its toll. His time, 20.44, was .67 seconds slower than his season best.
“I don’t think I will ever face this again,” he said. “I will always pray to not face this again.” Seven days into this most expectation-defying of track meets, fans of the sport must be growing used to seeing their world turned upside down.
Bolt finished third in his 100-metre finale to open the festivities. He’s already shut things down in the 200. When asked if he wished he could still run that race, he insisted “it would have been worse.”
A few things did go to form on a crisp, cool night at the stadium that hosted the Olympics five years ago — most of them involving the United States.
Christian Taylor and Will Claye repeated their 1-2 finish from the last two Olympics. Taylor won with a jump of 17.68 metres but was a bit disappointed because he didn’t hit the 22-year-old world record that he’s had his sights on for a while. —