Daily Mirror

SO LOW TO SOLO ...THEN SO HIGH

Makwala goes from sick bed to a one-man race before semi success

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ISAAC MAKWALA came back from the sporting dead last night to sensationa­lly reach the final of the 200 metres.

The African athlete became a cause célèbre when he was denied the chance to compete after being diagnosed with “infectious disease”.

Having been quarantine­d and forced to withdraw from the 200m heats on Monday he was then locked out of the London Stadium and prevented from running in the final of the 400m.

But yesterday afternoon World Championsh­ip bosses, widely criticised for their treatment of the Botswanan star, decided to give him a break.

They told him he could have a shot at qualifying for the 200m semi-finals if he came to the stadium early and ran a solo time-trial.

Makwala, the world number two, jumped at the chance and after bettering the 20.53secs time (20.20), dropped to the track and performed five pressups. “I think that is a message to the IAAF ‘I’m fit and healthy’,” observed BBC commentato­r Steve Cram.

The 30-year-old was not done and two hours later returned and ran even faster in the semifinals (below) to qualify jointsecon­d quickest in 20.14 for tonight’s final. “I am still running with my heart broken,” said Makwala.

“I wish the IAAF had taken the decision for me to run my 400 first, I was ready to run that 400 then I could run the 200.

“I don’t know why they took the decision not to run that 400 final because 400 was the race I was training for – 200 I just do it sometimes.”

Makwala’s time trial was not without precedent.

In 2002 Ireland’s Paul Brizzel ran a solo 200m at the European Championsh­ips in Munich after being impeded by an overhangin­g camera in his heat. He again missed out but the US female sprint relay quartet fared better in Rio last year after being allowed to run again on their own after the baton was knocked from their hand in the heats. They qualified and went on to take the gold medal.

Makwala thanked the IAAF for his reprieve and paid tribute to British public for the “amazing” support he had received over the previous 24 hours.

He then warned his 200m final rivals, who include Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake: “I’m running with anger.” Wayne van Niekerk will take that on board but remains on track to become the first athlete to complete the world 200m-400m double since Michael Johnson achieved it in 1995.

 ??  ?? ON YOUR MARK! Makwala gets on his blocks, runs the race on his own, then does press-ups to prove a point CRUISING Mo salutes the crowd
ON YOUR MARK! Makwala gets on his blocks, runs the race on his own, then does press-ups to prove a point CRUISING Mo salutes the crowd

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