Athletics

Usain Bolt recovers to take win in Zurich

ESPN staff

August 29, 2013

Usain Bolt made a terrible start but recovered to take the win © AP

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Usain Bolt added another 100m victory to his name after taking the honours in the Zurich meeting of the Diamond League.

The Jamaican claimed three gold medals at the World Championships earlier in the month, and up against Britain's Adam Gemili and Justin Gatlin, the man who beat Bolt in Rome in June, Bolt began extremely slowly at the Letzigrund Stadium but put on the afterburners to take the win ahead with a time of 9.90seconds.

"I think the longer the season goes on, the worse my start gets," Bolt told BBC Sport. "I'll be happy to go home at the end of the season. I thought I was fit but I wasn't in the shape I wanted to be in."

Gemili finished in eighth but the Briton recorded his season's best time with a 10.06secs, and after the run he said: "A season's best and nearly a personal best so I'm happy. It feels great and a learning experience."

World 400m champion LaShawn Merritt once again got the better of Olympic champion Kirani James. Unlike in Moscow where James was well off the pace and left behind by Merritt, the pair were side-by-side down the straight to the finish, but Merritt had enough to take the win.

Britain's Shara Proctor meanwhile claimed victory in the women's long jump and was crowned Diamond Race champion, jumping 6.88metres.

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