Duel to succeed Bolt has a surprise winner
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 Thursday.
Eight men lined up for the final of the 200 meters, trying to become the first sprinter other than the Jamaican to win the world title 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 meet with an alleged case of stomach flu, only to be readmitted.
There was Wayde van Niekerk, the South African who had a 400-meter title under his belt from earlier in the week and who certainly possesses the credentials to be touted as the next great sprint champion.
And then, there was the winner: Ramil Guliyev, a 27year-old who competes for Turkey but hails from Azerbaijan.
Guliyev, who finished last in the final when Bolt won the 200 at last year’s Olympics, crossed the line in 20.09 seconds. It was the fourth-slowest time to win this race in the history of the championships.
Hours later, Guliyev was still wearing the Turkish flag around his shoulders — and making no apologies.
“I was competing against some of the best athletes in the world, so it didn’t bother me that the attention was on them,” Guliyev said. “Maybe at the next competition, everyone will look at me instead.”
Give him his due. Guliyev made up two steps on van Niekerk over the last 20 meters to squeak out a victory by 0.02 of a second.
Van Niekerk, who holds the world record at 400 meters, was trying to become the first person since Michael Johnson in 1995 to complete the 200-400 double at the worlds.
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 got a crash course in how hard it will be to take it.
“They made me realize it’s not going to be a walk in the park,” he said after taking 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 not a factor. A week full of uncertainty and being hounded 24-7 by TV cameras, to say nothing of the illness he might or might not have had (he claims he was not sick), clearly took its toll. His time, 20.44, was 0.67 of a second slower than his season best.
One thing did go to form on a crisp, cool night: Americans Christian Taylor and Will Claye repeated their 1-2 triple jump finish from the past two Olympics. Taylor won with a jump of 17.68 meters (58 feet, 1⁄16 inch), but was a bit disappointed that he didn’t hit the 22-year-old world record that he’s had his sights on for a while.
“Honestly, I’ve just been chasing this number, this magical 18.29,” Taylor said.
Olympic 400-meter champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who inexplicably finished fourth in the event Wednesday, returned to win her 200-meter semifinal heat, giving her a second chance for a medal.
Bolt still has another chance, too.
He returns Saturday as the headliner for Jamaica’s 4x100 relay team — to serve one final glimpse of what this sport is going to miss once he’s gone.
“He finished his career, and, of course, he’s king,” Guliyev said. “The time is coming for us. We made it.”