ATHLETICS:WHATEVER USAIN Bolt ends up running or jumping in Rio in four years time he still looks a long way off slowing down over 200 metres, winning in typically convincing style in Lausanne last night, with a typical celebration to go with it.
In his first race since his double Olympic sprint triple in London, Bolt clocked 19.58 seconds, without exactly extending himself, once again leaving his rivals chasing his shadow, much to the delight of the capacity crowd.
But it was probably just as well Bolt skipped the 100 metres on the night, leaving that to his Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake, who duly delivered a sensational personal best and meeting record of 9.69 seconds – moving him to joint second on the all-time list, alongside Tyson Gay, with only Bolt ever running quicker.
Gay finished second here in 9.83, but Blake dominated the American and everyone else, despite running into a slight headwind, with even Bolt, watching from the trackside, looking pretty impressed.
Only Bolt could have followed a sprint like that, which he did, his 19.58 improving his own meeting record of 19.59, which he ran here two years ago, and well up on second-placed Churandy Martina from the Netherlands setting a national record of 19.85, with Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade setting a season best of 19.94 in third. Jamaicans also took fourth and fifth through Jason Young and Warren Weir.
But there was no stopping Bolt, who celebrated his 26th birthday in the Swiss city last Tuesday, and showed little sign of any Olympic hangover – even if it wasn’t quite as quick as the 19.32 that he clocked when motoring to the defence of his Olympic title.
On a beautiful evening on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Athletissima meeting – the 11th of 14 stops on the IAAF Diamond League – included 13 individual gold medallists from London, and 52 medallists in total.
There was little sign of any Olympic hangover either for Kirani James, Grenada’s new Olympic 400-metre champion, who cruised to victory in 44.37, although the women’s 100 metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica eased up a little too soon, allowing the American Carmelita Jeter to take a narrow win in 10.86, both being given the same time.
There was talk of a world record attempt in the 110m hurdles from America’s Olympic gold medallist Aries Merritt, but that disappeared after he false-started – marginally, it seemed, – but in his absence team-mate Jason Richardson took the win in 13.09.
The Kenyans messed up tactically in the Olympic 1,500 metres, but at least got it right here, Silas Kiplagat taking the win in 3:31.78, with the American Matt Centrowitz setting a best of 3:31.96 in third.
Not everyone was as fresh as in London, however: women’s 400 metres hurdles champion Natalya Antyukh from Russia could only manage seventh, with Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer taking the win in 53.49.
Likewise for fellow Russian Mariya Savinova, the Olympic and World 800m title holder, who was out-run for victory this time by Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo, the 2008 Olympic champion, who ran 1:57.60.
