LIGHTNING BOLT!
Usain vows to wow in finals
USAIN BOLT has vowed to come out firing as he aims to win a third successive Olympic 100m title.
The Jamaican, the 100m and 200m world-record holder, yesterday underlined just why he is the star billing at the Rio Olympics.
The sprint legend is trying to win an unprecedented ‘Triple-triple’ – winning three gold medals from three successive Olympics.
He won his first-round heat in a time of 10.07sec, overtaking Bahrain’s Andrew Fisher (10.12sec) in the closing stages.
He had time to ease up before the line and look left, right and left again to see where the nearest competitor was.
However, he qualified fourth overall from the eight heats and he blamed the early start – his heat was at 12.47pm Rio time – for his sluggish start.
“It wasn’t the best start from the blocks,” Bolt said. “I felt kind of slow. I’m not used to running this early at any championship. Hopefully for the semi-finals and final I’ll come out and I’ll feel much better, much smoother.”
As it was at the climax of the 2015 season, the narrative of the Olympic 100m final is likely to be Bolt versus Justin Gatlin squaring up for gold once again. Gatlin, the fastest man in the world in 2016, essentially choked when they last raced head-to-head in the world championship final in Beijing.
The controversial Gatlin, who has served two drugs bans, qualified fastest from the heats in a time of 10.01sec.
His presence on the US team has left fellow countrywoman Lilly King, the Olympic 100m breaststroke swimming champion, feeling “uncomfortable” given his previous doping suspensions.
In response, Gatlin said: “I don’t even know who Lilly King is. She does swimming and not track and field. I’m not worried about that. I have confidence in my policies that I’m with.
“USADA (the United States AntiDoping Agency) has done a great job. WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) has done a great job. I have come back and done what I need to do. “I’ve worked hard, just like everybody else, and I get tested, just like everybody else. I’m back here. I believe in the system. I hope everybody else does.”
In the same heat as Bolt, Britain’s James Dasaolu came third in a time of 10.18secs. He finished 19th overall and qualified for the semi-finals as a fastest loser.
Dasaolu said: “Obviously running against Usain – everyone is watching him – but for me I’ve always got to focus on my own race and try to execute.”