Usain Bolt, Canadian pole vaulter excel at Golden Spike event
Sprint legend clocks 10.06 seconds to win 100m but falls shy of season best
Usain Bolt started the European leg of his final season before retirement with a victory in the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meeting on Wednesday in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
At the meet where he has most frequently competed in his career, with nine appearances, Bolt reeled in the rest of the field after a trademark slow start to cross the finish line in 10.06 seconds.
However, he had to hold off a strong challenge from Yunier Perez of Cuba, edging him by 0.03. Jak Ali Harvey of Turkey was third in 10.26.
Bolt's performance fell short of his season best of 10.03, which was clocked at the 100 and 200 world record holder's final race in his native Jamaica on June 11.
"I'm not happy with the time," he said. "But it's not important, I enjoyed it so much."
Bolt mentioned a back problem that slowed him, but downplayed its significance.
"I'm going to see my doctor (in Germany) soon, I know he will fix every problem," he said. "All I need to do now is just to train hard and focus on getting myself into great shape. I'm not worried about that. It's just my back, it's always an issue. I didn't get injured, that's a key thing."
Bolt is preparing for the world championships in London, England in August, the final major competition for the eight-time Olympic champion.
Bolt said he liked the Golden Spike because it was one of the first professional meets that invited him to run at the start of his career, and he also appreciated the fact that the stands were always packed, despite bad weather during some of his previous appearances.
In an emotional farewell after the race, fans held up colored cards that formed a huge Jamaican flag in the stands, with a giant message: "THANX UB." The Jamaican anthem followed, with Bolt singing along.
The only other race he's scheduled before the worlds is the Diamond League event in Monaco on July 21. He's still undecided about other meets.
Newman vaults to 2nd place
Elsewhere, Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman cleared 4.65 metres to finish second.
The London, Ont., athlete is coming off a no mark at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm on June 18.
The 22-year-old Newman, who finished 17th at last summer's Rio Olympics, broke her own mark to set a new Canadian record of 4.71 at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational in April at the University of Miami.
Newman also holds the Canadian women's indoor pole vault record of 4.65, set in January at the Fred Foot track and field meet in Toronto.
Earlier this season, the former hurdler and gymnast cleared 4.60 to win the women's pole vault competition at the Adidas Boost Boston Games, defeating former Olympic champion and U.S. record holder Jenn Suhr, 35.
Other winners Wednesday:
- Mo Farah and Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, who led home the rarely-contested 300 metres in a world's best time of 30.81. Farah claimed victory in the 10,000 in what was likely one of his last races on the track. The British distance specialist plans to retire from track to move to road races after the worlds. Van Niekerk won the 300 inside the previous best time of 30.85, set by Michael Johnson in 2000, in Pretoria, South Africa.
- Olympic champion Thomas Rohler was in a class of his own, winning the javelin competition with a throw of 91.53m, only slightly off the 93.90 he achieved in Doha, Qatar, last month, which was the longest throw in more than 20 years. Fellow German Johannes Vetter finished second at 87.88.
- Christian Taylor of the United States, the Olympic triple jump champion, won with a meet record of 17.57 metres.
With files from Doug Harrison, CBC Sports