Bolt helms Jamaican juggernaut

Tiny island's superstars giving international sport a huge boost

Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gave track and field just the boost it needed at the world championships after the sport's credibility was questioned following doping scandals in the run-up to Moscow.

Bolt, seeking to become an international icon like American boxing immortal Muhammad Ali and Brazilian soccer legend Pele, underlined his incredible sprinting prowess by claiming double individual gold in the 100 and 200m, respectively his second and third world titles in the events.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist was untroubled in either race, clocking 9.77 and 19.66 sec to win the sprints.

After anchoring the Jamaican team to victory in the 4x100m relay, his eight gold medals equaled the record held by retired American legends Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson and still-active American women's 200m specialist Allyson Felix.

Fraser-Pryce also made history by becoming the first female sprinter to win both individual events (100/200m) and the 4x100m relay at a world championships.

The Jamaican tandem's success was the perfect tonic for track and field after pre-championship positive doping tests for top sprinters Tyson Gay of the US and Jamaicans Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown.

Meanwhile, Britain's Mo Farah also lived up to his superstar billing by adding double 5,000-10,000m gold to his similar exploits at last year's London Olympics.

The Somali-born Briton dominated both races, controlling the pace with aplomb and each time producing his now-trademark kick at the end.

The action at the cavernous Luzhniki Stadium had initially been watched by paltry crowds, particularly the morning sessions, although attendance figures and resultant atmosphere did pick up.

Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva enjoyed what could prove to be the perfect send-off from the field when she won her third world title, her first global championship victory since her triumph at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

But the 31-year-old, who will now take an 18-month break to start a family before contemplating a return at the 2016 Rio Olympics, tarnished her reputation with comments backing a controversial new law in Russia that outlaws dissemination of information about homosexuality to minors.

Pro-gay rights activists argue the law could be used for a broad crackdown against homosexuals, and such was the backlash to Isinbayeva's comments that the Russian was forced to issue a statement saying she had been speaking in English, not her first language, and that she had been "misunderstood".

Either way, it fell far short of an apology and her initial claim that "in Russia we just live with boys with women, women with boys" tarnished her public image.

Farah's distance double aside, Kenya just out-trumped East Africa archrival Ethiopia in the longer distance races, although the men's marathon went to Uganda's Olympic champion, Stephen Kiprotich.

Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba won her third world 10,000m title, while teammate Meseret Defar took her second 5,000m crown.

There was also a third title in the men's 3000m steeplechase for Kenyan Ezekiel Kemboi, with his teammate Milcah Chemos taking the women's title while peerless Asbel Kiprop won a second 1500m crown.

Host Russia finished atop the medal standings with seven golds among its total of 17. The US was second with the highest total of medals, 25, including six gold, 13 silver and six bronze.

Bolt and Fraser-Pryce's efforts ensured Jamaica third spot (9, 6-2-1), with Kenya leading the African nations in fourth (12, 5-4-3).

(China Daily 08/20/2013 page24)