Bolt sprints back to top of the world

Jamaican clocks an incredible 9.77 seconds in rain to win men's 100M race; Dibaba triumphs

The nightmare of Daegu won’t haunt him ever again. The mistake he made two years ago cost Usain Bolt the tag of the world champion but on Sunday night, he was back to where he belongs, wearing the crown that sits lightly on his head.

Thunder, lightning and rain hit the Luzhniki Stadium just before the much-anticipated final of the World Championships 100M, with even the weather gods seemingly in attendance up above. Bolt, though, was hardly concerned as he blitzed the field in 9.77 seconds, regaining the title he lost in the Korean city in brilliant fashion.

That false start incident has followed Bolt everywhere he has gone, despite his trail-blazing triple in London 2012. And with American Justin Gatlin turning it on this season, a rival seemed to be looming. But on Sunday, Bolt was a class apart, putting on a show with his parents in attendance.

His wasn’t the quickest of the starts, understandably so. Gatlin in lane five was away in a flash but Bolt’s race begins past the half-way mark and it was exactly the case on the night as he caught up with the American and powered ahead, not relaxing one bit as he has done many times in the past.

A slight headwind of -0.3 seconds was on the board as Bolt whizzed past in lane six. Gatlin, drawing from all his reserves, came up with a season’s best of 9.85 for the silver. Behind the two, another Jamaican, Nesta Carter, clinched the bronze in 9.95.
“I gave it away last time, so to regain it tonight felt fantastic,” said Bolt. “I wanted to run quicker but after the semifinal, my legs felt a bit sore. I don’t know what the problem is. Otherwise, I could have run faster. Better safe than be sorry.” The Jamaican said the rain didn’t bother him. “It didn’t matter for me. I have run in worse weather, much cooler temperatures,” he said, adding that he should be ready for the 200 metres.

Bolt was his normal, cool self ahead of the start, opening an imaginary umbrella to shade himself from the rain. But in the semifinal, he had to shrug off a slow start to advance, picking up pace to edge ahead of Mike Rodgers, timing 9.92 to the American’s 9.93. Gatlin won his heat with ease, clocking 9.94. Jamaican Nick Ashmeade was the quickest in the semis, with a personal best of 9.90 while a fourth Jamaican made it, Kemar Bailey-Cole coming through in 9.93.

Reese hat-trick

Brittney Reese, a big event performer if ever there was one, extended her reign in the long jump pit. The American became the first woman to win this event three times, adding to the gold medals she won in 2009 and 2011 with a supreme effort on Sunday.
Reese, like in Daegu, barely made the final here but with the gold medal on the line, she found her range with a 7.01 in the second round. Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare fought and fought, with efforts of 6.96 and 6.99 but missed out by just two centimetres.

This was Reese’s sixth title on the global stage. Besides three outdoor gold medals, she has two world indoor titles and the Olympic gold in her bag, making her one of the most successful long jumpers of all-time.

As the weather turned cooler, Tirunesh Dibaba unleashed her familiar burst of speed in the final lap to win her third world title in the 10000 metres. Two-time Olympic champion over the distance, Dibaba had won her world 10000M titles in 2005 and 2007.

With the Ethiopians deciding to field Meseret Defar only in the 5000M, Dibaba didn’t have a rival worth the name. As is her wont, she tailed Japan’s Hitomi Niiya till the final lap before sprinting away in terrific fashion, timing 30:43.35. Dibaba later confirmed she won’t be running the 5000M.

Ashton Eaton, the world record holder and Olympic champion, towered above the decathlon field after two days of pulsating contests. Eaton tallied 8809 points, the best in the world this season, for the gold medal.

Croatian Sandra Perkovic was similarly dominant in the discus circle. The Olympic champion has been enjoying a dream season, going unbeaten so far, and she stretched that streak to another competition with a 67.99-metre heave. Away from the medal races, Yelena Isinbayeva quietly qualified for the final in women’s pole vault, clearing 4.55 metres.

Results:

Men: 100M: Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.77 seconds, 1; Justin Gatlin (United States) 9.85, 2; Nesta Carter (Jamaica) 9.95, 3.
Decathlon: Ashton Eaton (United States) 8809 points 1; Michael Schrader (Germany) 8670, 2; Damian Warner (Canada) 8512, 3.

Women: 10000M: Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 30:43.35, 1; Gladys Cherono (Kenya) 30:45.17, 2; Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia) 30:46.98, 3.
Long jump: Brittney Reese (United States) 7.01 metres, 1; Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) 6.99, 2; Ivana Spanovic (Serbia) 6.82, 3.
Discus throw: Sandra Perkovic (Croatia) 67.99 metres, 1; Melina Robert-Michon (France) 66.28, 2; Yarelys Barrios (Cuba) 64.96, 3.