Sad farewell for injured Bolt as Britain win 4x100m relay – US reclaim women’s title

This news has been read 5066 times!

LONDON, Aug 13, (AFP): Usain Bolt’s glittering career swansong came crashing to an end when he pulled up with a leg cramp on the anchor leg of the world 4x100m relay won by Britain.

Bolt received the baton with Jamaica in third, but halfway down the finishing straight the towering sprinter pulled up clutching his left thigh, eventually doing a forward somersault to the ground, to gasps from the 60,000 sell out London Stadium.

The British quartet of Chijindu Ujah, Adam Gemili, Daniel Talbot and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake claimed gold in 37.47 seconds, with the Justin Gatlin-led US four taking silver at 0.05sec and Japan a surprise bronze (38.04).

Jamaican team doctor Dr Kevin Jones said Bolt had suffered from “cramp in his left hamstring”.

“But a lot of pain is from disappointment from losing the race,” Jones said.

Second leg runner Julian Forte added: “He didn’t tell us exactly what happened but from what I saw, it looked like a strain or a cramp of some sort.

“He kept apologising to us but we told him there was no need to apologise – injuries are part of the sport.”

Newly-crowned 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod, Jamaica’s lead-off runner, added: “Everybody was jelly, everybody was pumped. (Bolt’s injury) just happened. Usain Bolt’s name will always live on.”

Bolt missed out on his bid to retain his 100m title earlier in the week, losing out to Gatlin and silver medallist Christian Coleman, who ran relay anchor for the Americans.

But hopes were high for Bolt’s final competitive race, with Jamaica also boasting McLeod, Forte and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake in their line-up.

Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, and the US team also including another convicted doping cheat, Mike Rodgers, and Jaylen Bacon were booed when introduced although the jeering was less pronounced than for the individual 100m event.

But there was to be high drama as a visibly swearing Bolt pulled up in obvious pain, allowing the Japanese quartet to edge in for third.

The result means Bolt, 100 and 200m world record holder, finishes his career with 14 world career medals, one behind American Allyson Felix, to go with eight Olympic golds.

Amid wild home celebrations, Bolt was attended to by medics, but refused a ride in a wheelchair off the track, instead finally getting up and limping alongside his teammates through to the finish line and then off into the bowels of the stadium for treatment.

It was a sad exit for an athlete who has lit up the track when the sport has been dragged through its worst-ever crisis, racked by doping and corruption scandals that went to the very heart of athletics’ governing body.

Since confirming his sprinting dominance with triple gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bolt spent nine seasons amassing 19 global golds, 13 of which have come in individual events.

Individual champion Tori Bowie anchored the United States to victory in the women’s 4×100 metres relay at the World Championships on Saturday.

It was the sixth time the US have won the event and the gold was a record 15th World Championship medal for Allyson Felix, who ran the second leg.

The Americans, Olympic gold medallists in Rio last year, were led off by Aaliyah Brown who flew out of the blocks to start the run that brought them the world title they last won in 2011.

Felix, part of that winning team in Daegu, took the baton to Morolake Akinosun who handed on to Bowie, the 100m world champion.

The 26-year-old had pulled out of competing in the 200m earlier in the week due to suffering cuts and bruises in her sprint triumph last Sunday.

However, she looked in no discomfort as she surged down the final straight to win in 41.82 seconds.

“We are on top of the world,” Bowie said. “I am grateful to be able to run and bring these ladies home to the gold. It has been a mixed week but two gold medals is amazing for me.”

Bowie was shadowed all the way to the line by Briton Daryll Neita who led her team to silver, in 42.12, ahead of 2015 champions Jamaica who were missing their usual anchor runner in Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Britain’s silver represented a big stride forward for the team, having won bronze at the Olympics.

“I tried my best down that last stretch and I’m glad to bring the team home to silver. We work so hard as a team so we are delighted,” Neita said.

The evening session proved a double sprint delight for Britain as the men won a sensational gold in their race, watched by their female counterparts beside the track who leapt and screamed in delight at the final result.

“We’ve smashed it. We worked so hard for this. Us girls and boys have both done so well and we’re so proud of each other,” Neita added.

 

This news has been read 5066 times!

Related Articles

Back to top button

Advt Blocker Detected

Kindly disable the Ad blocker

Verified by MonsterInsights