In spite of the world wide criticism of false start rule that disqualified the fastest man on earth from the 100m final race during last week’s World Athletics Championship in Daegu, South Korea, International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) insist that the one-strike policy will remain. “No chance. Because he made a false start, we are not going to change the rule,” Lamine Diack, IAAF President stated.
The beauty of the 2011 edition of IAAF World Championship in Daegu, South Korea, was almost? overshadowed by the sensational banishment of the fastest man from the 100m race final. Though, Jamaica still went away with the gold medal of the event, the false start of the biggest name in track and field sparked row in athletics family.
Bolt had barely left the track after his astonishing false start in the world championships 100m final before a debate swirled over the controversial rule. A packed stadium was stunned into silence in the seconds after the preening sprint star shot too early from his blocks on August 28. Distraught, he tore off his shirt and held his head in disbelief.
There were however some cherering news from the 2011 IAAF championship as Usain Bolt swept away the remaining clouds surrounding his 100-metre disqualification when he anchored Jamaica to a world record time of 37.04 seconds to retain the 4×100 metres relay title on the closing day of the IAAF world track and field championships.
“I kept on looking at the clock and I kept on saying, ‘I can do this, I can do it’ so I ran through the line. It was exciting to see the world record. I am happy,” Usain Bolt told reporters after their triumph.
Defending his 200-meter title earlier in the championships, Bolt won two gold at this Worlds Championship after he was disqualified in the 100 meter final for a false start on the second day.
Jamaica dominated the sprinting events winning all of their medals in 100 to 400 meter dashes, while Kenya raked in all of their medals from long-distance races from the 800 meters to the marathon.
Abel Kirui took home his second Worlds title in men’s marathon clocking 2 hours 7 minutes and 38 seconds. The country had already swept the podium on the first day in the women’s marathon and in women’s 10-thousand meters.
But the United States maintained the lead on the medal table until the last day, with 25 medals overall, including 12 gold. America’s sprinting star, Allyson Felix, won the most medals with four two gold from women’s 4-by-100 and 400 meter relays as well as silver in 400 and a bronze in 200 meters. Russia placed first-runner up, with their world champions reigning in race walks as well as in other disciplines.
Germany, Britain, China, Australia, Ethiopia and Ukraine also made it in the top 10. As the host nation, Korea vowed for a place in the top 10 in 10 events but only two out of the team made it.
Both results came from the race walk, with Kim Hyun-sub finishing sixth in men’s 20-kilometer and Park Chil-sung coming in seventh in 50-kilometers.
The U.S. topped the medals table after nine days of riveting action, amassing 25 medals, including 12 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals, to finish ahead of Russia, with 19 medals with nine gold, four silver and six brionze medals.
Double Olympic sprint champion and world record holder Bolt teamed up with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake to better the mark of 37.10 seconds the Jamaicans ran to win gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Bolt, who ran the third leg in Beijing, took over the anchor role in the absence of injured former world record holder Asafa Powell and received the baton from Blake, his successor as 100-metre world champion, with a commanding lead.
The 24-year-old hurtled down the straight well clear of the field with his eyes fixed on the clock before crossing the line and tossing the baton into the air in delight having helped set the only world record at the 13th world championships.
“For me, it was just to go out there fast,” Bolt said. “We did just that. I am proud of my team. I am happy with myself.
“I had a little problem with my Achilles. I can’t run the bend. It was decided I would run the anchor.”
The Canadian team of Sam Effah of Calgary, Gavin Smellie of Etobicoke, Ont., Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., and Justyn Warner of Markham, Ont., finished sixth in the semifinals, clocking 39.38 seconds, and did not advance to the final. Canada finished the championships with one medal – a silver in shot put by Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops.
In the relay, France finished second in a world championship record of 1.16 seconds behind the dominant Jamaicans to win the silver medal in 38.20 with Saint Kitts and Nevis claiming bronze in 38.49.
The Americans, who had never previously been beaten when they had reached a world championship 4×100-metre final, failed to finish after their third-leg runner Darvis Patton clipped a British athlete and fell over. The British quartet also failed to finish.
Bolt arrived in Daegu in less than dominant form after coming back from the injury that ended his 2010 season and admitted earlier that anxiety had caused him to false start in the 100metre final.
The championships were notable for the number of competing title holders who relinquished their crowns.
Big names to fall by the wayside included Bahraini imports Yusuf Kamel (men’s 800 metres) and Maryam Jamal (women’s 1,500 metres), Bekele (5,000, 10,000 metres) and Australian Steve Hooker (pole vault).
Among others losing their titles but still medalling were Blanka Vlasic (high jump), Andreas Thorkildsen (javelin), LaShawn Merritt (400 metres), Allyson Felix (200 metres) and Jessica Ennis (heptathlon).
In the women’s pole vault, one of the sport’s biggest names, Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, made a hash in her bid to claim a first global title since her second Olympic gold in the Beijing Games in 2008. Brazilian Fabiana Murer vaulted to a shock win.
Culled from Reuters
?