Bolt wins in 9.79sec to retain gold by 0.01sec from Gatlin, who was unbeaten in 29 races before the Beijing final
With 20m to go the two men were locked together in a desperate tango, stretching and straining for the line. But then Gatlin over-reached, stumbled and, in a flash of 50,000 camera-phones and a whoosh of cheers, Bolt had him – just. The Jamaican’s gold medal time was 9.79sec to Gatlin’s 9.80, the width of a vest.
Behind them came two slight 20-year-olds who many believe are the future of sprinting, the Canadian Andre De Grasse and the American Trayvon Bromell, who shared bronze in 9.92.
As the youngsters hugged, Bolt launched into his familiar victory routine. This was his ninth world championship title – more than any athlete in history – but also his hardest. “It definitely means a lot because I’ve been struggling all season,” he said. “Justin has been running great so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But after I joined him around 80m all I kept telling myself was run through the line. I could see him stumbling but it could have helped his momentum so I had to keep my focus.”
Gatlin was gracious in defeat but one could taste his disappointment. Five times this year he has run the 100m quicker than Bolt’s winning time but when the adrenaline was blasting through his veins he could not quite keep it together.
“Really, I gave it away,” he sighed. “I stumbled in the last five metres, my arms got a little flaily. But I’m happy to come so close and to represent my country.”
But he also paid tribute to Bolt, saying: “He’s a gamer. He’s a showman. Anyone who goes to the line to go against him has to be ready to go to work. But I let things get away from me. I stumbled a little and it cost me the race.”
All major 100m finals are gladiatorial contests. But this track-and-field superfight carried a particularly sharp edge. Bolt and Gatlin had not faced each other for nearly two years, during which Gatlin had accumulated a winning streak over 100m and 200m of 29. Bolt’s unbeaten record outside heats, meanwhile, stretched back even further to June 2013 when Gatlin had defeated him in Rome.
But as they say in boxing, somebody’s O had to go and, while the winning time was nothing special, the occasion certainly was.
Gatlin was gracious in defeat but one could taste his disappointment. Five times this year he has run the 100m quicker than Bolt’s winning time but when the adrenaline was blasting through his veins he could not quite keep it together.
“Really, I gave it away,” he sighed. “I stumbled in the last five metres, my arms got a little flaily. But I’m happy to come so close and to represent my country.”
But he also paid tribute to Bolt, saying: “He’s a gamer. He’s a showman. Anyone who goes to the line to go against him has to be ready to go to work. But I let things get away from me. I stumbled a little and it cost me the race.”
All major 100m finals are gladiatorial contests. But this track-and-field superfight carried a particularly sharp edge. Bolt and Gatlin had not faced each other for nearly two years, during which Gatlin had accumulated a winning streak over 100m and 200m of 29. Bolt’s unbeaten record outside heats, meanwhile, stretched back even further to June 2013 when Gatlin had defeated him in Rome.
But as they say in boxing, somebody’s O had to go and, while the winning time was nothing special, the occasion certainly was.
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