Justin Gatlin shoots Usain Bolt a warning and Mo Farah answers critics

Sport360 staff 11:08 10/07/2015
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  • Justin Gatlin is peaking perfectly for next month's world champs in Beijing.

    Justin Gatlin shot arch-rival Usain Bolt a warning with a consummate performance in his 26th successive sprint victory, while Mo Farah returned to the track with a sublime win he said answered his critics.

    Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist and 2005 double world sprint champion who consequently served two doping bans before nailing the 2012 world 60m indoor title, Olympic bronze at the London Games and a world silver in Moscow a year later, is peaking perfectly for next month's world champs in Beijing.

    At the age of 33, there is no doubt the American is currently the sprinter to beat, and at the Diamond League meet he saw off his two closest rivals this season in teammate Tyson Gay and Jamaican Asafa Powell.

    A smart start and impressive drive phase from 60 metres through to the line saw him clock 9.75 seconds, with Powell edging Gay for second, both timing 9.92sec.

    There was a dramatic season debut in the men's 5,000m for Olympic and double world champion Farah, his first outing since doping allegations against his coach Alberto Salazar.

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    Farah held his nerve to kick back in a supreme show on the final lap from 80 metres out to beat Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha.

    One of the stand-out events at the August 22-30 Beijing worlds will surely be the men's triple jump, with world silver medallist Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba and Olympic champion Christian Taylor pushing each other to their limits.

    In another outstanding competition, American Taylor sailed out to 18.06 metres, the Cuban content with second (17.99m) as both consistently nail jumps around the 18m mark in search of Jonathan Edwards longstanding world record of 18.29m.

    There was no joy for Kenya's David Rudisha in the 800m, the Olympic champion and world record holder edged into second by Botswana's Nijel Amos, who clocked a season's best of 1:43.27.

    A strong US track presence was boosted by victory for Allyson Felix in her preferred 200m, having already garnered 2012 Olympic gold, two Olympic silver medals, and three world championship golds.

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