‘Heartbroken’ Makwala surges into 200m final
LONDON: Botswana’s Isaac Makwala admitted to being heartbroken and fuelled by anger as he ran two rounds of the 200 metres -- one on his own -- to reach the final at the world championships on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old had been given the go-ahead by the sport’s governing body the IAAF after missing Monday’s heats and then the 400m final because the quarantine period for the highly contagious norovirus which he had been diagnosed with had expired.
However, the fastest man in the world this year made light of it in his semi-final. Running in lane one, he finished second, raising his arm as he crossed the line.
“I’m still running with my heart broken,” said Makwala.
“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. I’m running with anger.”
Earlier he had been even more flamboyant after performing in a solo time-trial easily beating the mark of 20.53sec which was the cut off point for the semis -- to emphasise his fitness he then got down and did several press-ups after crossing the line.
Makwala had been barred from running in Tuesday’s 400m final after being diagnosed with the stomach ailment on Monday which under English health recommendations requires 48 hours’ quarantine.
This had provoked a row between the sport’s governing body and Botswana athletics bosses who insisted he was perfectly fine to run.
Makwala subsequently turned up at the warm-up track ahead of the final but was turned away, with the athlete angrily accusing the IAAF or “the British” of sabotage -as he was seen as the main threat to South Africa’s 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.
Makwala will still get a chance to deny van Niekerk the 200m/400m world double -- which American legend Michael Johnson achieved in 1995 -- in Thursday’s final. - AFP