Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt recovered from a poor start to win the 100m at the Paris Diamond League meet in 9.84 seconds on Friday.
Bolt set a new meet record and beat fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, who finished second in 9.91 seconds. Another Jamaican sprinter, Yohan Blake, was third in 9.95 seconds.
“It wasn’t the best race I’ve ever had in my life,” said Bolt, who returned to competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 9 following an Achilles injury. “My first part was awful. At the 50 meters, I thought he [Asafa] had me. I had to work a little bit harder to get back in the race.”
PHOTO: AFP
Bolt, the world record holder in the 100m and 200m, pulled away in the final meters to stay unbeaten at 100m for 14 consecutive finals.
“It’s all about determination,” he said. “I want to be the best, to stay on top. When you run against the best, it always pushes you to do your best all the time. I’m happy, I escaped injuries and I won the race.”
Bolt and Powell, who share the fastest time this year at 9.82 seconds, met for the first time this season. Powell is the last man to have beaten Bolt in the 100m, two years ago in Stockholm.
American David Oliver posted the fastest time this year in the 110m hurdles, clocking 12.89 seconds, just 0.02 seconds short of Dayron Robles’ world record.
It was enough, though, to take the US national record outright from Dominique Arnold, who ran 12.90 seconds in 2006. Oliver had equaled that mark at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon two weeks ago.
Under perfect weather conditions, with mild temperature and a slight tail wind, Oliver enjoyed a strong start and pulled away to win ahead of fellow American Ryan Wilson, who finished in 13.12 seconds.
Another US sprinter, Ronnie Ashe, was third in 13.21 seconds.
“The run overall was OK,” Oliver told reporters. “I hit a few hurdles. I sat down on one of the hurdles, my hips dropped, that’s a waste of time.”
He said he didn’t regret missing the world record so narrowly.
“You can’t be frustrated,” he said. “I’m winning, man. That’s the most important thing — you’re never frustrated when you win.”
“I won Paris, I get four more Diamond League points. I want to be the Diamond League champion, that helps my goal. I just want to win. If you don’t win, you can’t be great. I want to be great,” he said.
Robles, the defending Olympic champion and world record holder in the 110m hurdles, pulled out of the meeting because of leg problems.
The powerfully built Oliver had already clocked the previous season’s best time, of 12.90 seconds, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
No world record has ever been set on the fast Stade de France track.
American Jeremy Wariner extended his unbeaten record in the Diamond League this season to four races, setting a season best of 44.49 seconds in the 400m.
“It feels great. I’m getting back to where I was a few years ago,” Wariner said. “That’s a big confidence boost for me right now.”
The 2004 Olympic champion, who underwent knee surgery in September last year, easily won ahead of Jermaine Gonzales of Jamaica, who finished in 44.63 seconds to beat his personal best. Belgium Jonathan Borlee was third with 44.77 seconds.
Wariner, who is hoping he will be able to run under 44 seconds before the end of the season, had set the previous season best of 44.57 seconds over a week ago in Lausanne.
“I’m two months behind schedule in training because of the injuries I’ve had early on,” he said. “For me, to come out here and still win four Diamond League races and have the world-leading time, that’s a great confidence thing for me.”
Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto beat the previous season best he set in Lausanne, winning the 3,000m steeple in 8 minutes, 00.90 seconds, while Abubaker Kaki of Sudan won the 800m in 1 minutes, 43.50 seconds ahead of world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, who clocked 1 minute, 44.11 seconds.
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