Gemili in tears after his ‘amateur’ lapse costs Doha medal
ADAM GEMILI was left devastated after his quest for a first individual global medal ended in fresh heartbreak.
For three years he has lived with the frustration of missing out on Olympic bronze by three thousandths of a second.
And last night, as he tore up the home straight in the 200metres final, the former Chelsea youth-team footballer had the redemption story written.
But having led off the bend, Gemili was hauled in first by race favourite Noah Lyles, of the USA, who won his maiden senior championship in 19.83secs.
Canadian Andre De Grasse then went past followed, agonisingly, by Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez.
“I had the medal and it slipped out of my hands,” said a teary Gemili, who this time missed out by five hundredths of a second.
“I am gutted. I had it, I lost my balance and all my form then went out of the window. I ran like such an amateur.
“I cannot believe it, I came so close, this was such a good chance. My body feels good, I ran well through the heats. I let it go.
“I am so, so sorry. I feel like I have let so many people down. Not to break 20 seconds is so disappointing and heartbreaking.”
Gemili’s agony came shortly after Dina Asher-Smith cruised into tonight’s final of the women’s 200m, winning her semi-final in 22.16secs.
Looking as assured as she has all through the event, the 23-year-old breezed to the fastest time of the day.
And to cap it off Jamaica’s Olympic champion Elaine Thompson became the latest of her big-name rivals to withdraw.
Beth Dobbin, Asher-Smith’s team-mate, said: “Even if everyone was there, I don’t think anyone can stop her. She’s on a mission. I think she’ll get the gold.”
Sam Kendricks won the pole vault for the second straight edition after a duel with Sweden’s Armand Duplantis.
The American became the first vaulter to repeat at theWorlds since Sergey Bubka in 1997.