Felix, Semenya add more gold

ATHLETICS greats Allyson Felix and Caster Semenya lit up the track to bring the curtain down on the world championships in great style yesterday.

However, not for the first time, but certainly the last as an athlete, Usain Bolt stole the show.

Retiring superstar Bolt put on one last appearance (pix left), the 100m and 200m world record-holder accorded a lap of honour in front of the 60,000 spectators who stayed on after the finals were over.

“It’s been a rough couple of days, and this is a very emotional moment for me,” said the 30-year-old Jamaican referring to his dramatic collapsing to the track with cramp in the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay final 24 hours earlier.

“I always tried my best and gave 100% all the time and above all put on a good show.”

Bolt then went on a lap of honour to the tune of “Reggae Nights” raising his arms and applauding the crowd, embracing his parents on the track and then finishing with a final flourish of his trademark ‘lightning bolt’ stance not once but twice.

On the track, Felix ran a stunning leg in 48.7sec in the women’s 4x400m relay to set the United States up for an easy victory and take her record world medals tally to 16, two ahead of retired Jamaican duo Merlene Ottey and Bolt.

“It does mean so much to me every time,” Felix said when asked whether medals motivated her.

South African star Semenya, who seems to block out all the debate about whether she should be running or not, added a third 800m crown to her tally to put her alongside another African great Maria Mutola as the only women to have won the title three times.

Semenya hinted that it would now be time to tackle the world record of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvilova back in 1983. – AFP