Beijing ¨C Defending champion Usain Bolt made a meal of it but recovered from a stumbling start to reach Sunday¡¯s 100-meter final at the world championships, setting up his Beijing showdown with in-form American Justin Gatlin.
The Olympic champion and world-record holder qualified joint-third fastest in 9.96 seconds after a blanket finish in the opening semifinal, while Gatlin¡¯s 9.77 in the second was the best of the round.
Bolt tottered around the track for a few steps after stumbling coming out of the blocks and needed all his power in the final 50 meters to get back on terms with Canada¡¯s Andre de Grasse, who was also awarded a time of 9.96.
¡°Think I hit my foot too hard,¡± Bolt told reporters. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, I just stumbled.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what lane I get, it¡¯s the 100 meters but I can¡¯t do that in the final.¡±
A smiling Gatlin, who won the world title in 2005 before serving a doping ban, gave his verdict on his comfortable victory in the second heat with the words ¡°easy, breezy.¡±
American Mike Rodgers was second fastest in 9.86, his best run of the year, while his compatriot Tyson Gay also ran a 9.96 to reach the final.
Jamaica¡¯s former world-record holder Asafa Powell progressed in 9.97.
American Trayvon Bromell, France¡¯s Jimmy Vicaut and China¡¯s Su Bingtian were all timed at 9.99, and as Su and Vicaut could still not be separated after their times were taken to a 1000th of a second, all three will race in a nine-man final.
Off the nine, Gatlin, Powell, Gay and Rodgers have all served doping bans.
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