Usain Bolt recovers from slow start to win 100m heats

Aug 05, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....t-to-win-100m-heats/

Jamaican finishes ahead of Brit James Dasaolu

Daily Mail – A bad start, an easy finish and that same old burst of beautiful cruelty in the middle. Usain Bolt is up and running in his final World Championships and immediately it is hard to figure out who might be capable of taking him down.
It’s not that his first-round run of 10.07sec was impressive because it was actually pretty poor by the Jamaican’s standards, given he opened with a stumble and closed with just the eighth quickest time of the qualifiers.
Indeed, he was grumbling and chuntering on his way off the track.
But the time and the aesthetics are not the point and never are in these early skirmishes. It’s about ease, about giving a little and still winning, about how much room there is to go faster. And Bolt always seems to have room, even now at the end of what has been a troubling season.
By the time he crossed the line here, in first place, he was jogging, having looked to be halfway down the pack at 40m and then in front by 60m.
Those 20m, he kills them every time, Britain’s James Dasaolu among the fallen. He has the speed that others will never know and only uses it when it’s needed, his best saved for later. It’s what he does.
Take a look through his history in these early rounds. When Bolt broke the world record at the 2008 Olympics, his opening bid was 10.20sec. When he broke it again a year later, he clocked that same slow time.
So this was an encouraging start to the last dance, with Bolt due to retire after these Championships. His route here had been distinctly underwhelming, characterised by modest runs, the tragic death of a friend and back problems, but Bolt is all about the big occasion and in this event, with Andre De Grasse pulling out injured, things are already looking good.
That’s not to say there aren’t brilliant rivals – but it is notable that they all seemed to work that bit harder than Bolt for similar times.
‘That was very bad,’ Bolt said. ‘I stumbled a bit coming off these blocks. I am not fond of these blocks. They are the worst block I have experienced. It was not a smooth start. I can’t have that.
I have to get this together. It’s shakey. It’s not as firm as I’m used to.
‘But the crowd is always wonderful. They always show me so much love and I appreciate it. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to getting to the finals and doing my best.’
Christian Coleman, the fastest man in the world this year with 9.82sec, was impressive with a 10.01sec run, while Yohan Blake was sluggish in 10.13sec.
Perhaps most intriguingly, Justin Gatlin, the convicted drug cheat, took his heat in 10.05sec and, like Bolt, was easing up at the end. In the absence of De Grasse, it could yet be an old rivalry that characterises the Bolt farewell.
Of the British trio, Reece Prescod ran an impressive personal best of 10.03sec to qualify along with CJ Ujah, the best home hope, who went through in 10.07sec. Desaolu was second behind bolt in 10.13sec.
Meanwhile, Laura Muir cantered into the semi-finals of the 1500m, finishing fourth in her heat in 4:08.97 with gas to spare.
It was the first of five races she must race in the space of 10 days as she pursues a double assignment of 1500m and 5,000m.
Muir said: ‘The reception was brilliant. I’m lucky I’ve got a lot of championships under my belt now, because to have that support now, I see it as a positive rather than a negative.’
Britain’s Jessica Judd, Laura Weightman and Sarah McDonald joined Muir in the semi-finals.
Holly Bradshaw needed only one attempt at 4.50m to qualify for the pole vault final.