Share

Bolt speeds through to 100m semis

Kingston - Usain Bolt spent a few minutes on the grassy infield of National Stadium after his race on Thursday night, putting himself through some very slow cool-down jogs.

It was an easy end to an easy night.

Officially beginning his quest for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 100-metre dash, Bolt cruised his way through the quarterfinals at the Jamaica National Senior Championships - which serve as his country's trials to decide who goes to the Rio Games in August.

No one has ever won three golds in the 100, which is what both Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce could do in Rio. They'll be among the favourites to qualify for the team on Friday night, when the 100 semi-finals and finals are held about two hours apart for both the men and women. The 200-metre qualifiers are on Saturday and the semis and finals in that event come when the meet ends on Sunday.

Bolt completed his quarterfinal in a jog-for-him time of 10.15 seconds. Fraser-Pryce won her quarterfinal in 11.38 seconds.

"It was about advancement," Jamaican sprint star Veronica Campbell-Brown said.

True. Thursday was little more than an obligatory dress rehearsal for Bolt and the other top Jamaicans. He changed clothes trackside after his race, left his flimsy white plastic chair without a word and headed to the infield for a brief workout that was capped by some photos with fans - even some policemen. As he walked back across the track and into the night, a song blared throughout the stadium's speaker system.

"Mi nah falla nobody," was the lyric.

Even when translating the lyrics from Patois to English, the message was clear.

No, Bolt doesn't follow anybody, and doesn't plan to anytime soon, either. He wasn't the fastest on Thursday night - that distinction went to Nickel Ashmeade, who won his heat in 10.07 seconds, though certainly no one would label him as the favourite for Friday.

The closest thing Bolt had to trouble on Thursday was a false start in his heat, though it didn't seem to affect him whatsoever.

Jamaica's biggest track names - Bolt, Fraser-Pryce, Campbell-Brown, Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell - all advanced out of the quarters with ease.

An National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion earned his trip to Rio, when Arkansas' Clive Pullen - a Kingston native who was the Division I indoor champion this past winter - won the triple jump and did so while hitting the Olympic qualifying standard. He's the first Jamaican to earn a triple-jump Olympic spot in 44 years.

"To do it on home soil is a blessing," Pullen said.

Pullen was already daydreaming about walking into the opening ceremony in Rio in the same group as Bolt.

"Cannot wait," Pullen said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Glasgow Warriors 14
Sharks 0
loading... Live
North West 95/3
Warriors RSA 145/7
loading... Live
Titans RSA 105/4
Lions 154/8
loading... Live
Western Province 173/4
Boland 110/10
loading... Live
Ulster 3
Cardiff Rugby 7
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE