Lightning Bolt
> Jamaican beats Gatlin for fourth world 200m gold
JAMAICA’S Usain Bolt easily outstripped American rival Justin Gatlin to claim his fourth consecutive world 200m title yestersday and complete a rousing sprint double in Beijing.
Bolt clocked a world-leading 19.55 seconds to beat Gatlin by nearly twotenths, thumbing his chest as he crossed the line to add the 200m to his 100m title at the world championships.
The clear victory extends Bolt’s domination of sprinting which stretches back to when he took the world by storm at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also at the Bird’s Nest stadium.
Gatlin, who has served two doping bans and finished just one-hundredth of a second behind Bolt in Sunday’s 100m, clocked 19.74sec, with South African Anaso Jobodwana taking bronze with a national record of 19.87sec.
“There was no doubt,” said Bolt, who has had pelvic problems this season and did not consider an attempt on his own world record of 19.19sec, set in 2009.
“I knew I wasn’t in the shape for a world record. But when it comes to the 200m, I am a different person, I was beaten there only once.”
There was drama after the race, however, as a shoeless Bolt was downed by a cameraman on a Segway electric scooter who had strayed too close to the Jamaican.
The cameraman mounted a fixed railing and slipped backwards, shooting the Segway from under him into Bolt’s heels and making the newly-minted champion fall backwards.
Bolt got up gingerly and limped away before continuing his victory lap.
Gatlin, meanwhile, said his age had showed in the race.
“I feel tired. Going through three 100s and three 200s is taxing on the body,” he said.
“I’m the oldest person in the field and am still running and running pretty well. To be able to run 9.74sec is a really good showing.”
Huge cheers greeted Bolt, wearing lycra shorts and singlet in the green, gold and black colours of Jamaica and placed in lane six, with Gatlin on his inside in lane four.
Applause also rang out for Gatlin, in a red one-piece suit, as the stadium comperes built up a boxing-match atmosphere at the packed Bird’s Nest.
Gatlin, in the form of his life at the age of 33, previously won world 200m gold in Helsinki before testing positive for testosterone and serving a doping ban between 2006-2010, an enforced rest he credits with extending his career. – AFP