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#RioGoldRush: Bolt through to men's 200m finals, Ashmeade and Blake out

Published:Wednesday | August 17, 2016 | 12:00 AM

Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

Jamaica’s sprint superstar Usain Bolt remains on course for an historic nine Olympic gold medals when he easily won his 200m semi-finals at the Games of the 31st Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

Bolt, who has already won the men’s 100m, clocked a season’s best 19.78 to advance to tomorrow’s final.

After the race, the world record holder over the 100m and 200m sounded an ominous warning to his rivals.

“I am going to try and go after the world record definitely. I don’t know if I’m gonna get it, but it’s on my mind. Hopefully I will get a good lane,” he said.

Bolt will be the only Jamaican in the final as compatriots Nickel Ashmeade and Yohan Blake failed to advance. Ashmeade finished fourth in a time of 20.31 in the first semi-final while Blake finished sixth in a time of 20.37 in the third semi-final.

Surprisingly, the man expected to be Bolt’s main rival in the final, American Justin Gatlin also failed to advance, tiring to third in the same race with Blake.

Speaking after the race, Ashmeade said he expected to make the final.

 

PROFILES

Yohan Blake -
Age: 26 years old
High School: Saint Jago
Tertiary Education: N/A
Events: Men’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Personal Best: 100m - 9.69s, 200m - 19.26s

Nickel Ashmeade -
Age: 26 years old
High School: St. Jago High School
Tertiary Education: N/A
Events: men’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Personal Best: 100m - 9.90s, 200m - 19.85s

Usain Bolt -
Age: 29 years old
High School: William Knibb Memorial High School
Tertiary Education: N/A
Events: men’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Personal Best: 100m – 9.58s, 200m – 19.19s
Interesting Facts:
His nickname is “Lightning Bolt.”
In the 2012 Olympic Games Bolt became the first athlete in history to win the 100m and 200m sprints at successive Olympic Games