#BEIJING2015: Bolt strolls 19.95s into 200m final, Ashmeade joins him
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Defending champion Usain Bolt ran a commanding 19.95 seconds to book his spot in the men’s 200-metre final at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.
The Jamaican superstar’s form appears to be on point as he again eased across the finish line to confirm a potentially explosive final match-up with American Justin Gatlin on Thursday at 7:55 am (Jamaica local time).
“I feel a lot better today, I can’t complain,” Bolt told OBSERVER ONLINE. “I felt much smoother.
“I did what I to do to qualify and that’s it,” he said.
“Easy, it was very [easy] because I am more professional over 200 metres, I didn’t have to extend a lot of energy,” Bolt continued. “I just ran the corner quick enough to make sure I got in front, push 15 metres after, then shut it off.”
But, Gatlin also sent Bolt a clear message after he ran a comfortable 19.87 seconds to win his semi-finals race.
Jamaica had four athletes vying for semi-final spots but Nickel Ashmeade is the only other man to have gone through to the finals.
Ashmeade clocked 20.19 seconds in his heat to finish second behind Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, who stopped the clock at 20.14 seconds.
Warren Weir faded to a disappointing 20.43 seconds to finish seventh, while Julian Forte finished eighth in a time of 20.57 seconds in the semi-finals won by Gatlin.
The other men in the 200m line-up are: South Africa’s Anaso Jobodwana (20.01s); Panama’s Alonso Edwards (20.02s); Qatar’s Femi Ogunode (20.05s); and Ramil Guliyev of Turkey (20.10s).
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