They came to see another shootout between hero and villain. They left having seen a near massacre.
Not just the way Usain Bolt took out Justin Gatlin to win his fourth straight World Championship title over 200 metres. That actually proved a straightforward hit. The sight of Bolt being taken out by a cameraman during his victory lap appeared far more destructive.
Yet not even that could stop Bolt. The big Jamaican simply rolled back on himself, recovering magnificently, before promptly resuming his victory lap. Much to the relief of everyone inside the Bird’s Nest. The man billed as the saviour of athletics appears invincible in every sense.
“Yeah, he tried to kill me, I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, laughing off the incident when the mobile cameraman lost control of his segway and crashed straight into Bolt. “Maybe it’s like I’m winning too much. Take him out.”
Record
In winning his fourth straight 200m title Bolt also extends his World Championship record of gold medal wins: he’s now up to 10, with the promise of another in Sunday’s 4x100m relay.
It’s also his fifth 100m-200m sweep, when his two Olympic doubles are included, the only blip in seven years being that false start at the 2011 championships in Daegu.
Unlike Sunday’s 100m final, this wasn’t even close – and truth is Gatlin wouldn’t have beaten him even if he’d been shot out of a canon.
“Number one, number one,” Bolt mouthed into the stadium cameras, before settling into his blocks. Gatlin, the former two-time doping offender, looked anxious.
Bolt then made the perfect start, ran the perfect bend, and was comfortably up on Gatlin into the straight – his 19.54 seconds not just Bolt’s fastest time this year, but the fastest by anyone. Gatlin took second in 19.74, his 33 year-old legs once again appearing to catch up on him.
Still, there were doubts over Bolt’s ability to go the distance, given his lack of preparation due to injury. He’d only raced once over 200m before Beijing; Gatlin hadn’t lost a 200m in two years.
Instead, Bolt delivered one of the best ever 200m runs, and although short of his 19.19 world record, it was faster than the 19.66 he produced in Moscow two years ago.
“It’s great, my fourth time over 200m,” added Bolt, “and as you know, the 200m means a lot more to me, so it’s a big deal. There was never a doubt I was going to win this one, for me. I knew that Justin Gatlin was there, and always going to be ready, so that’s why I really celebrated like I did.
Dedication
“And I’m happy to be a 10-time gold medallist. You just can’t explain. It’s just hard work and dedication to the sport.
“Especially this season, when a lot of people doubted me, and saying I was going to lose. And I’ve no problem with Justin Gatlin. I live for competition, and respect the fact he shows up, ready to run.”
It’s this sense of belief, his impeccable record on the championship stage, which once again helped give Bolt the edge over Gatlin – just like in Sunday’s 100m.
Once Bolt got the start on Gatlin, there was only going to be one winner. And again, whatever about the implications of what a Gatlin victory might have meant for the sport, it was the result that everyone in Beijing wanted.
Not that Bolt ever doubted it: "No, I always have utmost confidence. And with a coach like Glen Mills, there is never a doubt. As long as he says I can do it I believe him. He's like my guardian angel. He knows how to get me prepared, he knows how to do it to get me right. So as long as my coach is confident, I'm always super-confident."
Bronze medal
The race for the bronze medal was far closer, Anaso Jobodwana from South Africa just getting the nod ahead of Panama's Alonso Edward. Both athletes were clocked at 19.87, only for the photo finish to marginally separate them by two 1,000ths of a second: Jobodwana's time was 19.861 and Edward's 19.863. Britain's Zharnel Hughes finished fifth in a personal best of 20.02.
Gatlin, meanwhile, had no excuses. “I still feel I came out here and won some silverware, and that’s mission accomplished. To come here, and still make it onto the podium, I’m happy with that. I came ready to run as fast as I could. But at the end of the day, Usain is a great competitor, and gets pushed to the best times he can run. I’m happy to be a part of that. Now it’s about getting ready again for Rio.”
Bolt later declared that one of his goals is to break 19 seconds for the event. So, athletics survived for another day alright, although not entirely in the way that was expected.
