'I need time', says distraught Bolt

Published : Aug. 28, 2011 - 21:28

- Link copied

DAEGU, South Korea, Aug 28, 2011 (AFP) - Sprint superstar Usain Bolt Sunday said he needed time to digest his sensational disqualification from the world championships 100m final following a catastrophic false start.

Bolt, running in lane five, went early, immediately realising his mistake as the crowd looked on in stunned amazement while the distraught Jamaican ripped off his shirt and held his head in disbelief before leaving the track.

Fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake held his nerve for the restart and powered to victory, setting his season's best time of 9.92sec with American Walter Dix second (10.08) and former world champion Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis winning bronze at 0.01sec.

Following his disqualification, Bolt, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, immediately returned to the warm-up track next to the Daegu stadium.

"I have nothing to say right now. I need some time," said Bolt.

The men’s 100-meter world record holder Usain Bolt tears off his shirt after being disqualified for a false start. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

Speaking about the defence of his 200m title, which begins on Friday, he said: "How will I go? It's on a Friday right? Then we'll have to see on Friday."

Following his brief statement he left for the athletes' village by car.

Athletics governing body, the IAAF, said it was disappointed that Bolt had false-started but that a sport's credibility depended on its rules and they had to be applied consistently and fairly for all athletes.

Blake admitted to mixed feelings following his unexpected win.

"I can't find words to explain it. Usain Bolt has been there for me. I feel like I want to cry," said Blake, Bolt's training partner under coach Glen Mills.

"I've been trained by one of the best coaches but I stayed cool and caught him (Collins). I felt I would win the race for Bolt."

Bolt, the most marketable sportsman on the globe, has dominated the sprinting world in recent years and was widely expected to add to his burgeoning collection of gold medals.

After storming to the 100m and 200m sprint double in then-world record times at the 2008 Olympics, Bolt matched his feat the following year at the Berlin worlds, setting new marks of 9.58 and 19.19sec.

"It's surreal," said silver medallist Dix said of Bolt's disqualification.

"It's great to put the US back to the medals stand but it was a terrible race for me.

"It was a sloppy race. It was nerve-breaking. I didn't really think they would kick him out (Bolt)."

Veteran Collins, who won 100m gold at the world championships in Paris in 2003, said: "It was awesome. I got out well and it was a great race. I didn't think they would catch me.

"The champion is out and you have to take advantage of it," said the 35-year-old. "However, maybe if he had still been there I would have (got a medal).

"I don't think the false start rule is the right one but as the IAAF think it is good for TV it will probably stay. I know what I can do to make it to London next year."

The event in Daegu was deprived of the three fastest men this year before the championships started -- Bolt's team-mate Asafa Powell, American Tyson Gay, and Jamaican Steve Mullings.

<한글기사>

부정출발실격 볼트 "시간이 필요하다"

(대구=연합뉴스) 고동욱 기자 = 제13회 대구 세계육상선수권대회 남자 100ｍ 결 승에서 충격적인 부정출발로 실격당한 '단거리 황제' 우사인 볼트(25·자메이카)는 "(이번 충격을 극복하는데) 시간이 필요하다"고 말했다.

AFP통신은 볼트가 28일 실격된 직후 "지금은 할 말이 없다. 약간의 시간이 필요 하다(I have nothing to say right now. I need some time)"고 소감을 밝혔다고 29 일 전했다.

팬들의 시선은 100ｍ에서 2연패를 이루지 못한 볼트가 200ｍ에서 챔피언 타이틀 을 지킬 수 있을지에 쏠려 있다.

볼트는 200ｍ 타이틀 방어에 성공할 수 있을지를 묻는 말에는 "금요일(9월2일) 에 경기가 열리니 그때 보자"고 짧게 대답했다.

볼트는 남자 100ｍ 결승에서 실격당한 직후 곧장 인근의 보조경기장으로 가 훈 련하는 모습을 보였다.

이를 두고 일각에선 볼트가 200ｍ와 400ｍ계주 출전을 벌써 준비하는 것이라는 분석이 나왔다.

'I need time', says distraught Bolt

More from Headlines