Our national team champion Femi finished seventh in the 200m among the sprint giants led by hurricane Bolt, who retained his status as the world’s best in the event, defeating American Justin Gatlin once again in the second sprint showdown. The Jamaican hurricane clocked 19.55 seconds, easing up over the closing metres as if unwilling to set a new championship record, content instead with the world’s best time of the season in the event, and leaving his rival Justin Gatlin to push himself hard in the closing metres without catching the hurricane, finishing second, 0.19 seconds back, in 19.74 seconds. South Africa’s Anaso Jobodwana came third in 19.87 seconds. The race saw brilliant running and great excitement from the Jamaican hurricane, who won over the hearts of thousands of athletics fans at the Bird’s Nest Stadium yesterday, presenting a series of his trademark gestures when he asked everyone for silence until the end of the race — a scene that confirmed his great readiness to seal his second gold and retain his throne as king of the world’s sprints.
Femi enters history
Our Qatari champion Femi entered the history of sprinting at the World Championships when he became the first Qatari runner to reach a final among the giants, and also became the first Qatari runner to finish seventh in the 200m, clocking 20.27 seconds — a good time, though he has run better, at 20.05 seconds. Despite a slow start in the race, Femi was strong in taking on the elite and finished ahead of two runners in the race, though experience and seasoning decided things in favour of hurricane Bolt, despite American Gatlin’s late chase in the closing metres, after Bolt eased his pace once he had secured the gap over his nearest rival and gauged the latter’s ability to finish the race. Our champion Femi remains part of sprint history, gaining confidence and experience to develop further and progress in the challenges to come, especially as he is still young enough to keep improving.
Felix extends her dominance — In the women’s 400m, America’s Allyson Felix took first place and gold after qualifying for the final with the same position. The race cost Felix little effort, and she sealed it with ease, setting a new world-leading time for the season of 49.26 seconds. The Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller took silver in 49.67 seconds, while Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson claimed bronze in 49.99 seconds.
Morocco’s Arafi in the 800m final — The women’s 800m semi-final saw a deserved qualification for Morocco’s Rababe Arafi, who took first place in her heat in 1:58.05, putting a foot in the door for tomorrow’s final at the Bird’s Nest Stadium — meaning the possibility of a third Arab medal, after Egypt’s Ihab in the javelin and Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Musaab and Femi head to Spain
Our national athletics team duo Abdalelah Haroun and Musaab Abdulrahman Balla leave the Chinese capital Beijing today, heading to Spain and from there to Doha, after Qatari runner Musaab achieved great success at the World Championships, reaching the 800m final for the first time in his career after taking on the world’s 800m giants led by record holder David Rudisha, who won the race. Musaab succeeded in writing his name into the IAAF’s records as one of the contenders in the World Championships 800m final — a great opportunity to gain confidence competing in finals and taking on the giants, meaning a good future lies ahead of him.
