Jamaica’s Usain Bolt lost the World Championships 100m title to countryman Yohan Blake, when he picked the start in the 2011 Daegu final and was disqualified. There was no such mistake on his part yesterday at this year’s edition in Moscow, Russia, and the sprint double world record holder defeated the challenge by USA’s Justin Gatlin, who got out ahead of him, to regain the title in a modest-by-Bolt’s-standard 9.77secs (-0.3).
The time was Bolt’s season best (SB) that bettered the 9.85secs world leader he clocked at the London Diamond League meet last month.
Gatlin, who defeated Bolt in their last meeting before Moscow clocked a 9.85 SB for the silver, and Jamaica’s Nesta Carter ran 9.95 for the bronze. It was Carter’s first individual medal at an international outdoor championship. The 27-yr-old won 60m silver at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Rounding out the field were Jamaicans Kemar Bailey-Cole and Nickel Ashmeade, fourth and fifth, respectively (both timed at 9.98); Mike Rodgers of the USA (10.04); France’s Christophe Lemaitre (10.06); and Britain’s James Dasaolu (10.21).
Jamaica had four competitors in the race. It was the first time that four men from one country had reached the 100m final at the Championships. Of the four, two posted PBs to get there; Ashmeade ran 9.90 for the fastest semi-final and Bailey-Cole clocked 9.93 to win another.