It was a record-extending 11th world gold for Bolt, who also won three sprint titles at the 2009 and 2013 world championships. PHOTO: AFP
Bolt ran a blistering final leg at a packed Bird’s Nest stadium, hurtling through the line in 37.36 seconds after teammates Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell and Nickel Ashmeade had successfully got the baton around.
The victory gave Bolt his 11th world gold medal — his only blemish being the 100m at the 2011 Daegu worlds, when he was disqualified after a false start.
Not only has Bolt won 11 individual world or Olympic sprint titles from a possible 12 since he took track and field by storm at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but the 29-year-old has also been a key part of the relay team.
Despite losing to the US team at this year’s World Relays, much to Bolt’s visible annoyance, the Jamaicans have won all world and Olympic sprint titles since the 2008 Beijing Games, and also set a world record of 36.84sec while winning gold at the London Games.
The US quartet of 100m bronze and silver medallists Trayvon Bromell and Justin Gatlin, and fellow finalists Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers, were initially awarded silver before being disqualified over a botched final handover which strayed beyond the passover limit.
China, headed by individual 100m finalist Su Bingtian, delighted the home crowd when they were upgraded to silver in 38.01sec, while Canada moved up to bronze (38.13).
Super Mo makes history with ‘triple double’
Mo Farah became the first man to win back-to-back world distance doubles when he stormed to 5000m victory on Saturday.
The Briton, rocked this season by doping allegations against his coach, put the row behind him as he produced a devastating final 80 metres to romp home in 13min 50.38sec.
Kenyan Caleb Ndiku, in 13:51.75, held on for silver after making a valiant break with 800m to run. Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet took bronze.
The victory for Farah, who won the 10,000m on the opening weekend, seals a unique ‘triple double’ of distance titles at consecutive world championships and the London Olympics.
“It’s difficult as everybody has got great speed and there are a lot of guys capable of winning,” said the Somali-born Farah. “They went for it. The important thing was to win the race and I did that!”
Farah’s victory gave him an unprecedented seventh successive distance win at world championships and Olympics, stretching back to his 5,000m gold at Daegu in 2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2015.
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