Promising runner Abubaker Haydar had to settle for fifth place in the 800m on the first day of the athletics competition at the Rio 2016 Olympics, with the world’s finest champions competing at the Olympic Stadium. Our runner Haydar finished fifth with a time of 1:47.81 and therefore did not qualify for the next round, while Canada’s Brodan topped heat six with a time of 1:45.99, Poland’s Ludniski was second in 1:46.35, Italy’s Marco was third in 1:46.40, and Australia’s Jaffri was fourth in 1:46.93.
An Olympic experience worth having
The Olympic experience is a valuable one for our young runner Abubaker Haydar, competing in his first Olympic Games in Qatar’s colours in the 800m. Haydar put in a commendable effort in the fast-paced race and was close to the leader until the final 300m, but the pace of the race quickened and the strength of the leading group did not give him the chance to increase his speed to chase down the rest of the field, and he therefore dropped back to fifth place, with the top three qualifying for the next round alongside qualifiers from the seven heats of the 800m.
Asia’s fastest man: Femi’s first test
Meanwhile, our brilliant sprinter Femi Seun takes on the 100m challenge at the Rio Olympics today, the toughest test in the 100m, amid expectations of an exciting battle among the world’s finest sprinters, led by Jamaica’s Bolt and his American rival Gatlin, along with the rest of the world’s outstanding sprinters from the Caribbean and elsewhere around the globe. Our champion Femi Seun’s morale is high, and he has prepared well to take on the best in the 100m and 200m heats. Meanwhile, Usain Bolt warned his American rival Justin Gatlin ahead of their upcoming clash, as the Jamaican sprinter prepares to seek a third consecutive Olympic sprint treble at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Bolt received a medical exemption from Jamaican officials to compete directly at the Olympics despite missing the domestic Olympic trials due to a hamstring injury, and Gatlin did not miss the chance to take a swipe at the 29-year-old sprinter. Gatlin said the six-time Olympic champion had received a “medical exemption” to compete, and Bolt said this had helped fuel his desire to silence his American rival by proving his worth on the track. Bolt said in Rio: “Yes, definitely. I don’t think they’ve learned over the years that talking too much just makes me more determined to beat them.” He added: “It’s one of those things, but I’m looking forward to doing it, and it will be exciting, and they’ll feel my anger, as happens every time.” Bolt, who competed in the 200m at the Diamond League meeting in London last month, said he was in good shape ahead of the first event on his programme today, 13 August — the 100m — and that he was in better shape than he was before last year’s World Championships in Beijing. He continued: “I feel more confident now. I feel more comfortable with where I am now.” He added: “I never try to predict times because it’s hard to know what will happen. But given my current condition, I’m in much better shape, and I think I can definitely run 9.6 seconds.” Bolt holds the world record in the 100m at 9.58 seconds, and ran 9.79 seconds in Beijing to claim his third world title. As for his favourite event, the 200m, Bolt said that he and his coach Glen Mills were satisfied with the work they had done to shake off the “rust” in London, where he ran 19.89 seconds at the Diamond League meeting. He added: “We’ve done a lot of work and everything is going very well. I feel good and I don’t have any problems, so I’m happy with the improvement I’m making.”
He continued: “There was just a bit of rust on me because I hadn’t competed in the 200m for more than a year. But now I’m officially back to work, and all that’s left is to get out on the track and give my best.”
Dalal Al Harith competes in the 400m
Qatar’s promising runner Dalal Al Harith will make her first Olympic test today in the 400m, alongside the world’s leading front-rank competitors, with her participation seen as a valuable experience to gain further exposure on the world athletics stage.
Ethiopia’s Almaz claims 10,000m gold
Ethiopian runner Almaz Ayana claimed 10,000m gold, smashing the world record at the Olympic athletics competition. Ayana dominated the race from start to finish, covering the distance in a time of 29:17.45, breaking the previous world record of 29:31.78, which had been held by China’s Wang Junxia since 1993 in Beijing.
This was the first gold medal in athletics, while silver went to Kenya’s Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot, who set a national record of 29:32.53, and bronze went to fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, winner of the title at the last two editions, who ran 29:42.56.
Abubaker Haydar: I benefited a lot
Runner Abubaker Haydar appeared satisfied with his participation at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and despite his disappointment at missing out on qualification for the next round, he said: “Thank God for everything. I gained real benefits from being at the Olympics and experiencing the atmosphere of this great sporting event, among the world’s finest athletes. In my view, it’s an unforgettable experience, and I hope it will help me in future challenges,” wishing his fellow teammates success at the Rio Olympics.
Four gold medals up for grabs today
Today’s athletics events will see four gold medals awarded in the men’s and women’s categories, out of a total of 47 for the whole athletics programme, as follows: men’s discus final, men’s long jump final, men’s 10,000m final, and women’s 100m final. It should be noted that the women’s 10,000m and men’s 50km race walk medals were also awarded.
