De Grasse to miss worlds due to injury

The Canadian’s injury definitely comes as a big boost to Bolt, who will be competing in the 100m for one last time at the London meet before retiring from the sport he has dominated for almost a decade.

August 4, 2017: All eyes will be on London today as the IAAF World Championships gets underway and the world’s fastest man, Caribbean-born Usain Bolt, takes to the track for the final three rounds before hanging up his running shoes. Over the past nine years, Bolt has won eight Olympic gold medals and 11 world titles. His sizzling, albeit wind-aided, 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres in Stockholm hinted the Canadian record of 9.84, set by Donovan Bailey in 1996 and tied by Bruny Surin in 1999, might not be long for this world.

He is expected to be out for another four to six weeks, meaning, said his agent Paul Doyle, “he’s out of the 100m, 200m, the relay and done for the season”.

“That is it”, Bolt said.

“But it’s another thing working towards that greatness”.

“This is track and field, this is a dream I need to fight for and I need to fight for it as hard as I can”.

Bolt, the almost 31-year-old Olympic champion in the 100, 200 and 4×100, has said he will retire following these world championships.

“We won’t have that problem, don’t worry about it”. “That’s what I keep reading”.

Defending champion Bolt has opted out and his Canadian 100m rival Andre de Grasse was a late injury withdrawal, while Caribbean-born Zharnel Hughes, who has trained with the Jamaican, looks the most likely British medallist.

Coached by “Auntie” Ans Botha, aged 74, Van Niekerk remains humble and in awe of what Bolt has done for athletics.

“It’s a massive honour to learn and rub shoulders with Usain”, responded the South African.

There is no shortage of suitors in London to Bolt’s sprint crown. If it had gone the other way we wouldn’t have just lost the Games, we wouldn’t have had the Olympic Park or the stadium and wouldn’t have been in a position to bid to stage a World Championships. The world waits to see whether he can finish with a flourish.