Usain Bolt Storms to 100m World Title

(ATR) In a race billed as good versus evil, Usain Bolt triumphed over drug cheat Justin Gatlin to win the 100m at the World Championships.

He clocked a stunning 9.79 seconds, a season's best in an injury-ravaged year, to deny fierce rival Gatlin the gold that had looked destined to be his. The American came into Beijing 2015 boasting an 29-race unbeaten run in the 100m and 200m and had clocked the four fastest 100m this year.

Only 0.01 divided the pair in the end, with Travyon Bromell of the USAand Canadian Andre De Grasse sharing bronze after both posted 9.92 second. They sawof the challenges of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, who like Gatlin have also served doping bans.

Sitting high up in the stands, IOC president Thomas Bach had one of the best views of the race and was quick to praise Bolt's heroics."Congratulations to Usain Bolt for a historic victory. So great to see him winning in the Bird's Nest stadium again," he said.

The Jamaican retained the title he won in Moscow two years ago. Bolt's will to win was the greater on the night after a sluggish heat and semi-final.

It was Gatlin who cracked. The 2004 Olympic champion and 2005 world champion in the 100m wasin the form of his life clocking this season's best of 9.74 seconds. The 33-year-oldwas hot favourite and laid down a marker in the semi-final coasting over the line in 9.77 seconds. Bolt, who stumbled coming out of the blocks in the first semi-final, scraped through to the final in 9.96 seconds.

Having returned from two doping bans, aGatlin win would have triggered more questions about his drug-cheating past and impact on his current form and athletics at large, at a time when the IAAF is attempting to come to terms with the doping allegations casting a shadow over the sport.

Bolt's win will be a mighty relief to IAAF president Sebastian Coe as he takes over from Lamine Diack at the end of next week. One of Coe's biggest priorities is trying to revive the sport's drug-tainted reputation following a series of doping revelations and allegations in recent weeks and over the past year.

Noisy Home Crowd

Crowds descended on the Olympic Park early in the day for the morning session, but the Bird's Nest wasn't anywhere near full. However, the Olympic Green as it was once known was swarming with people as the day wore on. The 80,000-capacity stadium is still a huge photo opportunity for all visitors, the majority Chinese.

The area reserved for IAAF sponsors - TDK, Toyota, Adidas, Canon, Seiko, Sinopec and VTB - was also humming with activity. Visitors had the opportunity to race a friend down an athletics track in the shadow of the Bird's Nest and to buy merchandise.

The Water Cube, venue for Michael Phelp's eight gold medals at Beijing 2008, has lost none of the blue sparkle on its exterior that made it such an attractive showpiece at those Games. But inside is a different matter.

It's not only a recreational swimming pool but also major visitor attraction. Like the Bird's Nest, which attracts thousands of tourists every year, the Water Cube is a moneymaker in legacy mode. It's tickets only.No free entrance for nosey journalists to take a quick look around. Just to get in costs 30CNY ($4.70); it's $9.40 to go for a swim. There are airport-style security checks before you can even get a glimpse of the pool.

Activities through the afternoon during a break in competition sessions at the world championships were merely the appetiser for a lively evening of track and field events.

The 50,000-capacity crowd was in boisterous mood, sensing something special for the IAAF's blue-riband event, the final slice of action on day two of Beijing 2015. And they weren't disappointed.

Bolt was looking relaxed and milking the crowd's warm applause each time he took to the track. They love him here after all - the Bird's Nest was the scene of his triple gold medal haul at the 2008 Games. He was cheered. Gatlin clenched his fists and posed aggressively - and was booed. The stage was set. If form was anything to go by, there only ever looked like being one winner.

WhileBolt's competitive starts over the past 18 monthshave been restricted by foot and leg injuries - his best performance a 9.87 seconds to win the Anniversary Games at the London 2012 stadium last month -Gatlin has been stretching his advantage over the six-time Olympic gold medalist in the times he has recorded.

But it was Bolt who prevailed in style. No sooner had he stormed to victory, ripping up the script in this magnificent piece of sporting drama, than Bob Marley's 'One Love' boomed out of the stadium speakers. Inevitably, it was the Jamaican spectators, some two hundred of them, who launched the singing to accompany Bolt's lap of honor.

The pair will also contest the 200m next week. After his troubled preparations for these championships, Bolt, 29 on Friday, will now be much more confident of defending his two sprint titles at the Rio Olympics next year.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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