JOIN USMo Farah sets the tone
First rounds are not generally about making statements. Play it smart, cruise through, book your place in the next round – that is the way it goes in normal times. These aren’t normal times though and in the most anticipated battle of the 15th World Championships in athletics, the main protagonists took contrasting approaches to the task.
Usain Bolt, for one, seemed to still believe in the traditional way while Justin Gatlin looked determined to send a message to the world that would love to see him lose. There were no surprises though as the two big guns booked their places in the 100M semifinals, setting a stage for a terrific finale on Sunday.
Gatlin, booed by many at the Bird’s Nest and assisted by a wind of +2.1m/s, blitzed through his heat in 9.83 seconds. But for the wind, it would have been the sixth quickest time of the season, with the American holding the top four of those marks. Bolt, taking it easy, didn’t give anything away when he won his first round in 9.96 seconds, running into a 0.2m/s wind.
Gatlin, whose two doping suspensions have made him the undesirable number one in the eyes of the many this season, said he was keen to set the tone. “My coach told me to go out there and make sure to qualify. I felt safe after the 50M and so didn’t have to push it so much,” he said.
Gatlin looked forward to his duel with Bolt. “It will be an honour to make one of the most exciting races with Usain Bolt tomorrow,” he said. “We do it for our event, we want to show our best.”
Bolt, though not exerting much, still came up with his best first-round performance in major championships, starting from 2011. In an unsteady season, the Jamaican felt he was still working to find that right technique. “It was okay, not the perfect race but better than London (where he timed 9.87). The execution was alright too. I still have some adjustments to make, just have to concentrate on my technique now, I am only focused on that,” said the champion, adding that he wasn’t worried about Gatlin.
“I know Gatlin was running fast but that is how it is. I am not worried, I want to get quicker in the semifinal and get something more in the final,” he said, but didn’t sound convincing at all.
Also making it through to the semifinals were Asafa Powell (9.95), Tyson Gay (10.11) and a young American tyro called Trayvon Bromell in an impressive 9.91, the second quickest of the night.
Thanks to the sprint kings, Mo Farah’s terrific triumph in the 10000M was pushed to the shadows. It was the Briton’s sixth gold medal in global meets, beginning with the 5000M in 2011, Daegu. He also won a 5000-10000 double at both the London Olympics and at the Moscow World Championships in 2013.
Farah, bothered by allegations on his coach Alberto Salazar this season, played a fascinating cat and mouse game with Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor, Paul Tanui and Bedan Muchiri, with the trio reining in his every attempt to push ahead. But when the crunch came, Farah proved irresistible, sprinting strongly with about 500M left and screaming to the finish, even a slight stumble past the bell not hampering his rhythm. He timed 27:01.13.
In the absence of four-time champion Valerie Adams – out with injury – Christina Schwanitz of Germany won the women’s shot put gold with a 20.37M effort. Also on view was a thrilling heptathlon contest between Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill and her British compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Eniss-Hill led the standings after day one with 4005 points with Johnson-Thompson just behind at 3925.
The surprise of the day came in the men’s 400M hurdles when Bershawn Jackson, the season’s leader and the champion in 2005, crashed out in the first round, finishing seventh in his heat in 50.14 seconds.
Results: Men: 10000M: Mo Farah (Great Britain) 27:01.13 1; Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) 27:01.76, 2; Paul Tanui (Kenya) 27:02.83, 3.
Women: Shot put: Christina Schwanitz (Germany) 20.37 metres, 1; Gong Lijao (China) 20.30, 2; Michelle Carter (USA) 19.76, 3.