• World Athletics Championships

Bolt cruises into 100m semis

ESPN staff
August 27, 2011
Usain Bolt eased to victory in the 100m heats © Getty Images
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Defending champion Usain Bolt fired a warning to his rivals as he blazed to the fastest qualifying time in the 100m heats at the World Athletics Championships in South Korea.

Running in the sixth of seven heats, Bolt had already seen rivals Christophe Lemaitre and Walter Dix win their respective races, but he burst out of the blocks and had already established a convincing lead by the halfway stage.

After glancing across to see his rivals trailing in his wake, the world record holder eased off to cruise over the line in a time of 10.10 seconds to seal his place in Sunday's semi-finals.

Out in lane eight, Britain's Dwain Chambers finished strongly to claim second behind the Jamaican in a time of 10.28. Chambers is joined in the semi-finals by British team-mate Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who finished second in his heat behind American Dix in the same time as his team-mate.

Marlon Devonish had a nervous wait after failing to finish in the top three in his heat, but snuck into the semi-finals via the back door as one of three fastest losers.

With former world record holder Asafa Powell and 2007 world champion Tyson Gay both ruled out with injury, many see the title as Bolt's to lose, but his Jamaican team-mate Yohan Blake looks capable of pushing the Olympic champion all the way after clocking 10.12 seconds to win his heat in a time just two hundredths of a second slower than Bolt.

"People will think I can run a fast time but I am just here to defend my title and show the world that I am still the best," Bolt said.

Former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin was forced to settle for second in his heat, finishing 17 hundredths of a second behind Lemaitre in a time of 10.31 seconds.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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