Usain Bolt Disqualified, Jamaica Still Take Gold via Yohan Blake


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A Jamaican won the Men’s 100 meter race, but not the one everyone thought, expected to bring home gold. Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive, the fastest man in history, who set the current World record of 9.58 two years ago in the previous World Championships began too early, and fell victim to the one strike you’re out rule. Fellow countryman Yohan Blake, with 9.92, took home the gold while the field and crowd were still stunned by the turn of events.

American Walter Dix took home the Silver with 10.08, his first World Championships medal while veteran Kim Collins (35, gold in Paris 2003), leading through the first 40 meters brought Saint Kitts and Nevis the bronze medal. The story however, was Usain Bolt.

He was expected to cruise, not break records. His season’s best was 9.88, and he left Yohan Blake’s (foreshadowing?) with the best time in the Semi Final, 9.95. Still, I doubt that anyone expected to find anyone else but Bolt with the gold medal around their necks 10 seconds later. Bolt didn’t even get to race. Usually a slow starter, Bolt knew immediately it was him who beat the starters gun. The confidence, and some would say arrogance, shown just seconds earlier to the camera as the sprinters was presented, turned into a mini tirade as he took off his shirt, looked up to the sky and shouted at himself.

Yohan Blake is the future. Bolt is supposed to be everything. At 25, this should have been another crowning moment for the greatest track athlete in history. Theories for the blunder and much more will come up now, until Bolt gets his chance in the 200’s and relay. Today was Yohan Blake’s day. Maybe a dawn of a new era, still under Jamaica rule. Maybe it was just a bad day for Usain Bolt, nothing else.


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