Rudisha, Gatlin hail boss Bolt as legend bows out

Rudisha, Gatlin hail boss Bolt as legend bows out

Two-time Olympic champion and world 800m record holder David Rudisha hailed Usain Bolt as a track legend as the world’s fastest man hung up his racing spikes at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Athletics fans and Bolt’s swarm of supporters across the globe witnessed disaster on Friday night as the endearing Jamaican superstar pulled up with cramp in the world 4x100m relay that marked his career swansong.

“Legend on show right now….. we will never see him again on show! One last time! @iaaforg @usainbolt we love you. We will miss you #boss,” Rudisha who withdrew from the global track and field showpiece with injury wrote on Twitter. 

Bolt took the baton for Jamaica in third place but within a few strides, he was on the ground, clutching his left leg, as hosts Britain secured gold ahead of the United States team which had Justin Gatlin.

Bolt, who came third in his last individual 100m race behind Gatlin and compatriot Christian Coleman, tumbled less than 50m down the track with what was later diagnosed as a hamstring cramp.

Rudisha who attended Bolt’s farewell track appearance on home soil held in Kingston endured a similar injury agony when a quad strain ruled him out of his title defence at the English capital where he set the 1:40.91 World record in 2012.

A sentimental Gatlin also hailed the eight-time Olympic gold medalist Bolt as an “amazing showman” whose career would certainly not be defined by his last competitive race.

“This is farewell time, I am sentimental about it already now,” said Gatlin, who stormed to 100m gold in London, US teammate Christian Coleman taking silver to relegate Bolt to a disappointing bronze in his individual send-off.

“In the warm-up area we give ourselves respect and greet each other,” Gatlin said of Bolt, who bows out of competition with a startling haul of eight Olympic gold medals and 14 world medals, nine of which are gold.

Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, put the blame for Bolt’s cramp partly at the amount of time the athletes spent on the track before the starter’s gun went off.

“There was a cool breeze out there. But the conditions were the same for everybody,” said the 35-year-old, who won the 100m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2005 worlds in Helsinki before serving his second ban between 2006-10 for taking testosterone.

– Chilly conditions unhelpful –

“I think it was the elements. I am sorry he got this injury. He is still the best in the world.

“It was a recipe. I don’t want to say this but I understand we need to be ready early but I think we took our clothes off a little too early. It’s a little chilly in here so I think that’s where the cramp came from. That’s what he suffered with. He was running out there cold.”

But Gatlin, who was roundly booed at the London Stadium before both the 100m and relay, insisted: “Usain Bolt is a great athlete.

“You can’t let this championships define what he’s done in the past. He has done amazing things. He’s still the man, you know. The was his farewell race and we wish him the best and hope he recovers soon.”

Referring to Bolt’s mooted future ambassadorial role within athletics’ world governing body the IAAF, Gatlin added: “He’s coming back in a couple of years. He’ll be ready, he has a passion for the sport.

“He loves the fans and they love him. He loves the sport too much to walk away. He’s a showman.”

Japan snatched a surprise bronze medal, Kenji Fujimitsu moved to comment: “Thank you, Bolt. He was an inspiration for us.”

Omar McLeod, the newly-crowned 110m hurdler and Jamaica’s lead-off runner in the relay, added: “Usain Bolt’s name will always live on.”

 

Tags:

athletics Legend David Rudisha Usain Bolt IAAF World Athletics Championships Justin Gatlin London 2017

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