Makwala feels the loneliness of the short distance runner

Botswana’s Isaac Makwala said he is “running with anger” at being denied a place in the 400m final despite now being given a shot at gold over half that distance in bizarre circumstances.

Makwala overcame illness, quarantine and two races in little more than two hours to qualify for tonight’s 200 metres final. On Tuesday night he was denied the chance to face South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, the world and Olympic 400m champion, over one lap.

After withdrawing from the 200m heats on medical grounds, the 30-year-old was told he could not take up his place in the 400m final amid concerns surrounding the outbreak of norovirus which has affected athletes and support staff. Makwala denied that he had food poisoning.

Then came the news that the Botswanan would be given the opportunity to claim a place in the 200m semi-finals if he could better 20.53 in a solo time trial from lane seven. And so, 20 minutes before the official start of action, the fast-filling stadium roared him on to a time of 20.20 then witnessed him perform a defiant set of press-ups.

So Makwala was added into a nine-man second semi-final heat, running in lane one – not normally used for the event due to the tightness of the bend – and clocked 20.14 behind the United States’ Isiah Young, who won the semifinal in 20.19secs. Makwala celebrated by raising his right

0 Isaac Makwala, trying to better 20.53 in a solo 200m time trial from lane seven, clocked 20.20 and thus qualified for the semi-finals. arm aloft. He said: “I’m still running with my heart broken.

“I wish the IAAF had given me the decision to run the 400m first. I was ready to run. I don’t know who made the decision. The 400m is my reason for training.

“I’m running with anger. 400m is my race. But thanks to the crowd, they were amazing and thanks to the IAAF for letting me run today.”

The IAAF had earlier been forced into a rebuttal to claims from Makwala that “sabotage” led to his exclusion from the 400m final. Makwala told ITV on Tuesday night “maybe this is sabotage” and told the BBC yesterday “there’s something fishy they don’t want to tell us”. However, the IAAF dismissed his allegations as “absurd”.

An IAAF spokesperson said: “There is nothing we want more than extraordinary competition at these championships.

“We freed up the competition schedule here to allow this to happen between these two athletes over 200m and 400m. To suggest otherwise is absurd.”

Makwala’s 48-hour quarantine expired at 2pm yesterday afternoon and the IAAF accepted a request from Botswana to allow Makwala to try to qualify for the shorter event.

Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchellblake finished third in 20.19 and qualified for the final as a fastest loser.

There was drama in the final race of the night, the women’s 400m, when leader Shaunae Miller-uibo of the Bahamas pulled up while clear in the last 50 metres and dropped back to fourth, allowing the USA’S Phyllis Francis in for gold and Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser for silver.

A tenth world title for American legend Allyson Felix, pictured, was not to be but she did get the bronze. That was Felix’s 14th world medal, putting her in a tie with Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey at the top of the list.

Bolt can still move to 15 with a medal in the 4x100 relay this weekend, but Felix might run on both relay races for the US team, which could bring her to 16.

Felix already has the most gold medals among women with nine overall. Bolt has 11.

Karsten Warholm of Norway won the world title in the 400m hurdles, holding off Yasmani Copello of Turkey and Kerron Clement of the United States.

The 21-year-old won his first major title in 48.35 seconds.

Earlier, Glaswegian hammer thrower Chris Bennett posted a best distance of 72.05, which wasn’t good enough to make the final, while Us-based Scottish steeplechaser Lennie Waite bowed out at the heat stage as she finished tenth. Britain’s Lorraine Ugen made the long jump final. Kieran Merrilees has been drawn to face China’s badminton legend Lin Dan in the opening round of the men’s singles at the TOTAL BWF World Championships in Glasgow.

The five-times Scottish national champion has never met the five-times World and double Olympic champion but the draw guarantees the Glasgow man his place in the spotlight when the championships get under way on 21 August at Emirates Arena.

Merrilees is joined in the men’s singles by team-mate and 2016 Scottish national champion Matthew Carder, who faces Vladimir Malkov in the opening round. The Scot is boosted by the fact that he won their only previous meeting 21-13, 21-17 in the Finnish Open earlier this year even though the Russian is ranked much higher.

In the women’s singles Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, who won the Commonwealth silver medal in the Emirates Arena three years ago, has a promising start.

The 16th seed has an opening round bye and will then meet Finland’s Airi Mikkela or India’s Rituparna Das. But the big obstacle will come in the last 16 when she should face China’s sixth seed He Bingjiao.

Martin Campbell and Patrick Machugh are Scotland’s hopes in the men’s doubles and start against Dutch pair Jacco Arends and Ruben Jille.

Scotland have two pairs in the women’s doubles. Rebekka Findlay and Caitlin Pringle open their challenge against France’s Emilie Lefel and Anne Tran with Denmark’s 15th seeds Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen awaiting the winners.

Julie Macpherson and Eleanor O’donnell, the Scottish national champions, start against Swiss player Nadia Frankhauser and Malaysian Sannatasah Saniru.

Campbell and Macpherson are the only Scots playing in mixed doubles and they have been drawn against Sweden’s Nico Ruponen and Amanda Hogstrom in the first round.