Usain Bolt dismisses threat of Justin Gatlin for 200m showdown at world championships
Both cruise through their heats to reach semi-finals, but Jamaican superstar says the longer sprint means more to him than the 100m
The Jamaican superstar, who pipped two-time doping offender Gatlin to win gold in Sunday’s 100m final in Beijing, eased up with some 50 metres to go after coming off the bend well ahead of the field to win his heat in 20.28 seconds.
I’m always confident, man. I was trying to make sure I ran at least 130 metres of the race and then I kind of shut it down
Gatlin, game-face on after failing in his bid to dethrone Bolt as the king of men’s sprinting, won his heat in 20.19.
But Bolt, whose 100m victory gave athletics a boost after allegations of widespread doping plunged the sport into crisis, shrugged when asked if he was confident of beating Gatlin once more to retain his double world sprint title.
“I’m always confident, man,” sniffed the six-times Olympic champion and world record-holder. “I knew the 200 was going to be harder because I’m not in the best of fitness,” added Bolt, who struggled with pelvic joint pain earlier in the season.
“Definitely I was trying to make sure I ran at least 130 metres of the race and then I kind of shut it down. Everybody knows the 200 actually means more for me than the 100 so I’m trying to get through the rounds as comfortably as possible and using as little energy as possible.”
