Bolt closes out season with another win

September 07, 2013 07:56 am | Updated November 16, 2021 09:21 pm IST - BRUSSELS

Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts after he won the men's 100 metres at the Diamond League Memorial Van Damme athletics event on Friday.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts after he won the men's 100 metres at the Diamond League Memorial Van Damme athletics event on Friday.

Usain Bolt closed out the season on Friday with another win in the 100 meters, finishing in 9.80 seconds in the Memorial Van Damme.

The time, sluggish by his stellar, world-record standards, confirmed what Bolt himself acknowledges, 2013 hasn’t been a vintage year for the world and Olympic champion.

The 27-year-old Jamaican said he is now looking forward to some rest and recreation, family time and soccer matches with friends, before deciding on his goals for 2014, a season with no major championships.

“I’ve been smiling ever since I got to the stadium, because I know it’s the last one,” Bolt said about his final race of the year.

This year, Bolt’s fastest time was 9.77, which he ran in winning the world championships in August. That was still the Jamaican’s slowest season best-time since 2010, when his fastest was 9.82.

Over 200 meters, Bolt’s best was 19.66, again when collecting gold in Moscow. That makes 2013 his slowest season over that distance since 2007, when his best time was 19.75.

Still, with three golds from Moscow, including a 400 relay win with Jamaica, 2013 still goes down as the year he became the most decorated athlete in world championship history with a total now of eight gold and two silvers. He also has six gold medals from the Olympics.

Bolt was unhappy with his start in the Diamond League meet on Friday night, but still powered past the field down the straight to win comfortably.

Michael Rodgers of the United States was second in 9.90, a season’s best for him.

Nesta Carter, bronze medallist at the worlds, was third in 9.94.

Justin Gatlin, the world silver medallist, got a quick start but couldn’t stay with Bolt, running to his left in the fifth lane. Gatlin faded to fourth in 9.94. The American was the only sprinter to beat Bolt in the 100 in 2013, besting the Jamaican by a hundredth of a second in Rome in June.

Taking it up another notch from his world championship win, Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia ran by far the quickest 800 of 2013, a blistering 1 minute, 42.37 seconds, becoming the only runner to go under 1-43 this year.

In the 200, Warren Weir held off fellow Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade to win in 19.87. Weir took silver behind Bolt in Moscow. Ashmeade clocked 19.93, his best for 2013. Walter Dix of the United States also ran a season best for him of 20.12 in third.

Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce powered out of the blocks for another untroubled win in the women’s 100.

In the 400 hurdles, world champion Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago surged down the straight to beat Omar Cisneros of Cuba.

Olympic and world champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia was the comfortable winner of the women’s discus. Her first throw of 67.04 meters beat Gia Lewis-Smallwood of the United States (64.82) and Melina Robert-Michon of France, silver medallist at the worlds, who threw 63.45.

Ryan Whiting of the United States, the season’s top performer and silver medallist at the world championships, won the shot put contest with his third toss of 21.45 meters.

The Results:

Men: 100m: 1. Usain Bolt (Jam) 9.80 sec, 2. Mike Rodgers (USA) 9.90, 3. Nesta Carter (Jam) 9.94. 200m: 1. Warren Weir (Jam) 19.87, 2. Nickel Ashmeade (Jam) 19.93, 3. Walter Dix (USA) 20.12. 400m: 1. Martyn Rooney (GBR) 45.05, 2. Jonathan Borlee (Bel) 45.05, 3. Matteo Galvan (Ita) 45.35. 800m: 1. Mohammed Aman (Eth) 1min 42.37s, 2. Nick Symmonds (USA) 1:43.03, 3. Ferguson Rotich Cheruiyot (Ken) 1:43.22. 5,000m: 1. Yenew Alamirew (Eth) 12:58.75, 2. Bernard Lagat (USA) 12:58.99, 3. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 12:59.33. 400m hurdles: 1. Jehue Gordon (Tri) 48.32, 2. Omar Cisneros (Cub) 48.59, 3. Javier Culson (Pur) 48.60. Triple jump: 1. Teddy Tamgho (Fra) 17.30m, 2. Christian Taylor (USA) 16.89, 3. Will Claye (USA) 16.88. Pole vault: 1. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 5.96m, 2. Konstadþnos Filippþdis (Gre) 5.74, 3. Augusto de Oliveira (Bra) 5.74. Shot put: 1. Ryan Whiting (USA) 21.45m, 2. Georgi Ivanov (Bul) 20.95, 3. Ladislav Pràsil (Cze) 20.79. Javelin: 1. Tero PitkØmØki (Fin) 87.32m, 2. Vþtezslav Vesely (Cze) 86.67, 3. Antti Ruuskanen (Fin) 83.64.

Women:100m: 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jam) 10.72, 2. Alexandria Anderson (USA) 10.97, 3. Carrie Russell (Jam) 10.99. 400m: 1. Natasha Hastings (USA) 50.36, 2. Amantle Montsho (Bot) 50.41, 3. Antonina Krivoshapka (Rus) 50.51. 1,000m: 1. Nelly Jepkosgei (Ken) 2:35.43, 2. Winny Chebet (Ken) 2:35.73, 3. Yekaterina Kupina (Rus) 2:36.45. 1,500m: 1. Abeba Aregawi (Swe) 4:05.41, 2. Mercy Cherono (Ken) 4:05.82, 3. Hellen Onsando Obiri (Ken) 4:06.92. 100m hurdles: 1. Dawn Harper (USA) 12.48, 2. Sally Pearson (Aus) 12.63, 3. Cindy Billaud (Fra) 12.69. 3,000m steeplechase: 1. Milcah Chemos Cheywa (Ken) 9:15.06, 2. Sofia Assefa (Eth) 9:15.26, 3. Hiwot Ayalew (Eth) 9:15.85. High jump: 1. Svetlana Shkolina (Rus) 2.00m, 2. Anna Chicherova (Rus) 1.98, 3. Emma Green Tregaro (Swe) 1.96. Triple jump: 1. Caterine Ibargyen (Col) 14.49m, 2. Kimberly Williams (Jam) 14.34, 3. Olha Saladuha (Ukr) 14.31. Discus: 1. Sandra Perkovic (Cro) 67.04m, 2. Gia Lewis-Smallwood (USA) 64.82, 3. Mºlina Robert-Michon (Fra) 63.45.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.