Bolt wins final 100m outing before World Championships
Usain Bolt will head to the IAAF World Championships next month on the back of victory in the 100 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
The reigning Olympic champion clocked a season’s best time of 9.95 seconds – sub-10 seconds being his target heading into the race – beating Isiah Young and Akani Simbine to first place in the standout event at the Stade Louis II.
After a slow start, Bolt pulled away from the rest of the field to bow out of the Diamond League in victorious fashion.
Having struggled with a back injury this season, Friday’s win will be a boost for Bolt ahead of his final race before retiring at the World Championships.
The Jamaican, however, will come up against upcoming star Andre De Grasse in London – the Canadian’s camp claiming he was not competing in Monaco due to a request from Bolt, whose team denied the accusation.
Cool, confident running sees @usainbolt take victory in a season’s best 9.95!!#MonacoDL#RoadToTheFinal pic.twitter.com/Sohe6e7Fc6
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 21, 2017
A potential contender to Bolt’s throne as the sprinting king, Wayde van Niekerk was unable to improve upon his season’s best, but still triumphed in the men’s 400m, beating the meeting record set by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson in 1998 with a time of 43.73 seconds.
There was a personal best for Caster Semenya in the women’s 800m, the South African producing the fastest time of the year at one minute and 55.27 seconds. Francine Niyonsaba and Ajee Wilson came second and third respectively in a tight finish.
Elijah Motonei Manangoi triumphed in the men’s 1500m with a world-leading time of three minutes and 28.80 seconds, a feat also achieved by fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri in the women’s 3000m.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou won the women’s 200m with neither Dafne Schippers nor Elaine Thompson taking part, while Kendra Harrison pipped Sharika Nelvis in the women’s 100m hurdles.
