RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, CMC – Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt produced an effortless win in his opening round men’s 100 metres heat, as he led a string of Caribbean qualifiers into today’s semi-finals of the event at the Olympic Stadium.
Seven days shy of his 30th birthday, Bolt appeared his usual unflustered self as he cruised to the finish line in 10.07 seconds to be the fourth fastest qualifier in the marquee sprint yesterday.
Only American Justin Gatlin (10.01), Youssef Meite of Ivory Coast (10.03) and Canadian Andre de Grasse (10.04) went faster.
Running out of lane six, Bolt failed to get the start he wanted but still easily carved through the field to take the line first.
“It wasn’t the best start. I felt kind of slow. I’m not used to running this early at any championship. Hopefully tomorrow (today) I’ll come out and I’ll feel much better, much smoother,” Bolt said afterward.
He added: “I wanted to get a better start but it comes and goes for me so I’m just happy I executed right. I’ll talk to my coach and see what we need to work on for the semi-finals and then take it from there.”
Bolt is bidding for an unprecedented third gold medal in the 100 metres at a third straight Olympics, along with gold in the 200 metres and the sprint relay.
His quest for history has become the headlines of the Games and he said afterward that only hard work would see him accomplish this feat.
“It is going to take a lot of good execution so I’ve got to work on my execution. Hopefully everything will come together when it matters the most,” he stressed.
Also advancing to the semi-finals were Jamaicans Yohan Blake (10.11) and Nickel Ashmeade (10.13), Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis (10.18) and Antiguans Daniel Bailey (10.20) and Cejhae Greene (10.20).
Three former Jamaican sprinters are also through to the next round of competition with Andrew Fisher and Kemarley Brown of Bahrain and Jak Ali Harvey, now representing Turkey, also clinching semi-final spots.
Blake, who has been in great form this season, looked comfortable in capturing heat six as he installed himself as a serious contender for a medal.
“My preparation has been great. I’m wiser than London (2012) – more mature. It will take preparation and execution to win another medal,” he said afterward.
There was massive disappointment for Trinidad and Tobago as Keston Bledman ended just outside of the top 24 performers, along with Rondel Sorrillo and Richard Thompson.
Bledman finished fifth in heat five in 10.20 seconds, just behind Greene, as Ben Youssef Meite of Cote D’Ivoire took victory in 10.03 seconds.
Sorrillo was third in heat two in 10.23 as he trailed home winner Gatlin and second placed Antiguan Bailey while Thompson, a medallist in Beijing 2008, was a hugely disappointing sixth in heat seven in 10.29, as Bolt took the win ahead of Fisher.
Ramon Gittens of Barbados; the Bahamas trio of Shavez Hart, Adrian Griffith and Jamial Rolle; Kemar Hyman of the Cayman Islands; Antoine Adams and Brijesh Lawrence of St Kitts and Nevis and Jahvid Best of St Lucia all failed to progress.
It was also a productive morning for Caribbean female quarter-milers as Bahamian Shaunae Miller and Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Christine Day and Shericka Jackson advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s 400m.
Miller, the world-leader, was the fourth fastest of the qualifiers in 51.16 as she brushed aside her competition in heat five, easing up considerably over the final metres to finish ahead of Australian Morgan Mitchell.
Only American Phyllis Francis (50.58) and Oluwakemi Adekoya (50.72) and Eid Naser of Bahrain (51.06) were faster.
McPherson captured heat one in 51.36, Jackson clocked 51.73 to win heat seven while Day clinched heat eight in 51.54.
Grenada’s Kanika Beckles, Kineke Alexander of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Aliya Abrams of Guyana did not progress to the semi-finals.
In the field, Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams had the sixth best jump of 14.22m to advance to the final of the women’s triple jump tonight but another Jamaican Shanieka Thomas (14.02) and Thea LaFond of Dominica (12.82) failed to progress.
