Adam Gemili upstaged Usain Bolt in the morning heats of the 200 metres in Moscow to hint he is in the sort of form to become only the second British male in history to dip under the 20-second barrier.
Gemili, who narrowly missed out on a place in the Olympic 100m final, was not selected for the shorter event at these World Championships but laid down an impressive marker with the second quickest qualifying time of 20.17 seconds, smashing his personal best in the process.
The run was all the more impressive as Gemili, who boasted seemingly flawless technique, eased up well before the line. British duo James Ellington and Delano Williams also made it through to tonight’s semi-finals along with Bolt, who congratulated Gemili afterwards and walked back to the warm-up track with Williams.
The reality is that Bolt will raise his game in the semi-finals and comfortably upstage the British contingent, and blamed his relatively sluggish run of 20.66sec on the fact “I’m not a morning person”. He added: “We’re just trying to get through the rounds so I’m just happy to get this out of the way”.
It has been 19 years and 16 days since the only British male ran under the 20-second barrier, John Regis, and the suggestion is that, while Gemili may not do it here, it is only a matter of time for the 19-year-old.
Gemili said: “It was a good run, I’m very pleased with how it went. I’m not looking to run a specific time, I just want to qualify for the final but, if I were to run under 20 seconds, I would be over the moon.”
Williams, who will join up with Bolt’s training group in September when he begins a marketing degree in Jamaica and who was running in a British vest for the first time, said: “After watching my team-mates qualify I felt that spirit and, after watching Gemili run a 20.17 the Brits are looking really strong for the future. We’re only 19.”
It was not all good news today from a British perspective with Perri Shakes-Drayton flying home with her coach for further examinations on her injured left knee, which curtailed her medal ambitions in the 400m hurdles final last night.
Despite her absence, 400m individual gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu anchored home the British quartet in first place in their heat. Tiffany Porter looked similarly at ease in the 100m hurdles, clocking the fourth fastest qualifying time of 12.72 to win her heat.
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Porter looks to be off the pace of form athlete Brianna Rollins and Olympic champion Sally Pearson but the Briton still insisted she had serious ambitions for tomorrow’s semi-finals and final. “Hopefully I can put my races together and come out victorious,” she said.
