Olympic champion Usain Bolt and reigning world champion Tyson Gay both cantered through the heats of the men’s 100m on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships yesterday.
The first gold of the championships went Russia’s way when Olympic champion Valeriy Borchin won the men’s 20km walk title, finishing ahead of China’s Wang Hao and Mexico’s Eder Sanchez.
With the Olympic Stadium bathed in sunshine and temperatures at a balmy 23ºC, Bolt timed 10.20 seconds to lead Jamaican compatriots Michael Frater and Asafa Powell into the quarter-finals scheduled for later yesterday.
PHOTO: EPA
Former world record holder Powell, who took bronze in the Osaka worlds in 2007, almost paid the price for easing up too early, however, eventually finishing third in 10.38 seconds.
The one shock result in the 12 heats came as the silver medalist from Osaka, Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, failed to qualify after clocking a disappointing 10.44 seconds.
In the US camp, defending triple world sprint champion Gay cruised through in the fastest time of 10.16 seconds along with his trio of teammates — Darvis Patton, Michael Rodgers and Monzavous Edwards.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Gay complained after his heat that his ongoing groin injury had not quite healed.
“I feel OK, but my groin felt a little sore,” Gay said. “I just didn’t want to waste too much energy getting through. I just wanted to play it safe.”
Other pre-race favorites, Daniel Bailey of Antigua — Bolt’s training partner — won his heat, while Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles, fourth at the Beijing Olympics, qualified in third spot in his race.
PHOTO: EPA
Briton Dwain Chambers, the world indoor 60m silver medalist who is competing after having served a two-year doping ban, recorded the second fastest time of the morning, coming home in 10.18 seconds.
“I’m happy with the time,” Chambers said. “The aim is to get through the rounds as easily as possible without using too much energy. You don’t want to go sub-10 seconds here, that uses up too much energy and digs into your reserves. I didn’t want to have any doubt about being in the next round, so I made sure I didn’t ease up.”
Chambers said he was confident he could challenge the likes of Bolt and Gay.
“I don’t doubt it for a second or I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
In the men’s shot-put, all the main favorites qualified for the final scheduled for later yesterday.
Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland recorded the longest putt of 21.19m on his first effort, with Belarus duo Pavel Lyzhyn and Andrei Mikhnevich close behind.
The American trio of Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell, Adam Nelson and reigning world champion Reese Hoffa also qualified, although the latter failed to hit the minimum qualification standard of 20.30m.
Britain’s Jessica Ennis sat in pole position on 2,267 points after the first two events of the heptathlon, recording field leads of 12.93 seconds in the 100m hurdles and 1.92m in the high jump. Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska was in sixth spot on 2,016 points.
The heptathletes were later to compete in the shot put and 200m. The second day of competition today involves long jump, javelin and finally the 800m.
In the women’s 400m, American Sanya Richards struck the first blow in her bitter rivalry with Olympic and world champion Chrstine Ohuruogu, winning her heat in a conservative 51.06 seconds.
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