DAEGU: Jamaican Usain Bolt was back to his best on Friday, cruising into the world championships 200 metres final with the greatest of ease before whipping the crowd into a frenzy in Daegu.
”Number one, baby,” he mouthed to screaming fans after winning his semi-final in a time of 20.31 seconds.
Bolt, who had kept the showboating to a minimum in the morning heats after his stunning disqualification from the 100 metres final, could not contain himself any longer, primping and preening himself as the camera and the South Korean crowd ate it up. Among those joining the defending champion and world record holder in Saturday’s final are American Walter Dix as well as Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre, who ran the fastest semi-final of 20.17.
Bolt blasted out of lane six and had passed American Darvis Patton on his outside in what seemed like the first few strides, powering down the home straight before easing up long before the line.
After getting disqualified from the 100 final for a false start on Sunday, Bolt eschewed showboating and swept past the media without a word earlieron Friday.
Meanwhile, Veronica Campbell-Brown turned the tables on Americans Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix in one fell swoop, winning the women?s 200 metres gold medal Friday at the World Championships.
The Jamaican sprint darling clocked a season?s best time of 22.22 seconds in the Final at the Daegu Stadium.
Jeter, the newly-minted 100 metres world champion, was bidding for a rare sprint double, but had to settle for silver with a time of 22.37 seconds, and Felix, the four-time defending world 200 metres champion, had to be content with bronze in a time of 22.42 sec. (Agencies)