Bolt cruises after stutter, Ennis hot
Source: Agencies |
August 5, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE London Games finally got a fleeting glimpse of the world's fastest man Usain Bolt yesterday as the Olympic 100 meters champion enjoyed nothing more than a light canter after a sloppy start to safely reach the semifinals.
The leading protagonists for today's blue riband showdown, including world champion Yohan Blake, Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell and Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay all enjoyed a comfortable passage.
On a track described by the stadium's PA as a "magic carpet", Bolt stumbled slightly at the start but still barely broke sweat on a sunny morning for the second day of track and field action. "I made a bad step. I stumbled a bit. I'm glad it happened now," the Jamaican said after easing home in 10.09 seconds in the fourth heat.
Blake looked in good form by clocking 10.0, as did 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin (9.97) who was one of two runners to dip under 10 seconds. American Ryan Bailey signalled that he will be in the medals shake-up by dashing to 9.88, the fastest of the day.
British hopes of a gold-tinged evening grew when Jessica Ennis stretched her lead in the heptathlon with just the 800 meters remaining.
Ennis, who missed the Beijing Games through injury, holds a 188-point lead over Lithuanian Austra Skujyte and has the gold medal firmly in sight.
World 400 champion Kirani James breezed through but Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt was the biggest casualty of morning qualifying with the American, who had been suffering from a hamstring injury coming into the Games, pulling up in his heat.
Merritt, who appeared on the track with a heavily strapped left thigh, served a 21-month suspension after a positive doping test for using of an over-the-counter male enhancement product in 2010 which contained a banned substance.
The leading protagonists for today's blue riband showdown, including world champion Yohan Blake, Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell and Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay all enjoyed a comfortable passage.
On a track described by the stadium's PA as a "magic carpet", Bolt stumbled slightly at the start but still barely broke sweat on a sunny morning for the second day of track and field action. "I made a bad step. I stumbled a bit. I'm glad it happened now," the Jamaican said after easing home in 10.09 seconds in the fourth heat.
Blake looked in good form by clocking 10.0, as did 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin (9.97) who was one of two runners to dip under 10 seconds. American Ryan Bailey signalled that he will be in the medals shake-up by dashing to 9.88, the fastest of the day.
British hopes of a gold-tinged evening grew when Jessica Ennis stretched her lead in the heptathlon with just the 800 meters remaining.
Ennis, who missed the Beijing Games through injury, holds a 188-point lead over Lithuanian Austra Skujyte and has the gold medal firmly in sight.
World 400 champion Kirani James breezed through but Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt was the biggest casualty of morning qualifying with the American, who had been suffering from a hamstring injury coming into the Games, pulling up in his heat.
Merritt, who appeared on the track with a heavily strapped left thigh, served a 21-month suspension after a positive doping test for using of an over-the-counter male enhancement product in 2010 which contained a banned substance.
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