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| Bolt Races Amid Puddles and Past Gatlin to Prevail in the 100 Meters | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MOSCOW — It will not rank as the most irresistible of Usain Bolt’s many major victories in the 100 meters. It presumably will not be the gold medal story he will tell first when he is old and gray and long retired in Jamaica. | MOSCOW — It will not rank as the most irresistible of Usain Bolt’s many major victories in the 100 meters. It presumably will not be the gold medal story he will tell first when he is old and gray and long retired in Jamaica. |
| The time was not dazzling by his standards. The atmosphere — despite the lightning bolt that served as the perfect punctuation mark — frankly was not, either. | The time was not dazzling by his standards. The atmosphere — despite the lightning bolt that served as the perfect punctuation mark — frankly was not, either. |
| The stands at Luzhniki Stadium were not close to full at these world championships, not even for Bolt, the biggest star in track and field. And as Bolt and the other seven finalists prepared to head for the starting blocks, the drizzle turned to heavy rain. | The stands at Luzhniki Stadium were not close to full at these world championships, not even for Bolt, the biggest star in track and field. And as Bolt and the other seven finalists prepared to head for the starting blocks, the drizzle turned to heavy rain. |
| But Bolt has proved himself an all-weather sprinter over the past five triumphant years, and although he had to strain more than usual for this victory, he reclaimed the world title he lost in 2011 after the false start heard around the world. | But Bolt has proved himself an all-weather sprinter over the past five triumphant years, and although he had to strain more than usual for this victory, he reclaimed the world title he lost in 2011 after the false start heard around the world. |
| Pushed hard early and late Sunday night by the American Justin Gatlin in the adjacent lane, Bolt had to be all business after his clean start: pulling ahead for good with about 35 meters remaining and then sprinting through the finish — his eyes fixed on the video screen in front of him — to win in 9.77 seconds. | Pushed hard early and late Sunday night by the American Justin Gatlin in the adjacent lane, Bolt had to be all business after his clean start: pulling ahead for good with about 35 meters remaining and then sprinting through the finish — his eyes fixed on the video screen in front of him — to win in 9.77 seconds. |
| Gatlin, a former world and Olympic 100-meter champion who has definitively rejoined the elite after a four-year ban for a doping violation, was second in 9.85 seconds. Bolt’s Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter was third in 9.95 seconds. | Gatlin, a former world and Olympic 100-meter champion who has definitively rejoined the elite after a four-year ban for a doping violation, was second in 9.85 seconds. Bolt’s Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter was third in 9.95 seconds. |
| “I cannot forget Daegu, because all you guys keep reminding me on my false start,” Bolt said, referring to the meet in South Korea. “But it was not a revenge for Daegu. I just came here to win this title.” | “I cannot forget Daegu, because all you guys keep reminding me on my false start,” Bolt said, referring to the meet in South Korea. “But it was not a revenge for Daegu. I just came here to win this title.” |
| Bolt will be an overwhelming favorite to win more in Moscow, with his preferred race, the 200, still ahead. A third gold medal, in the 4x100, also looks quite likely given that the Jamaicans had four men in the 100-meter final Sunday, with Kemar Bailey-Cole finishing fourth and Nickel Ashmeade fifth. | |
| But Bolt’s margin for error in the 100 appears to be narrowing. Clearly the slight headwind and rainy conditions were not ideal for the time of his life Sunday: his 9.77 was his slowest winning time at an Olympics or world championships. It was also 19-hundredths of a second slower than the world record of 9.58 seconds he set in 2009 at the world championships in Berlin. | But Bolt’s margin for error in the 100 appears to be narrowing. Clearly the slight headwind and rainy conditions were not ideal for the time of his life Sunday: his 9.77 was his slowest winning time at an Olympics or world championships. It was also 19-hundredths of a second slower than the world record of 9.58 seconds he set in 2009 at the world championships in Berlin. |
| “I wanted to do a better time but was not able to because of the weather,” Bolt said. “Not singing in the rain but running in the rain tonight.” | “I wanted to do a better time but was not able to because of the weather,” Bolt said. “Not singing in the rain but running in the rain tonight.” |
| But since Bolt won the 100 at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 by a margin of two-tenths of a second, the gap between he and the field has steadily narrowed with each major final. His margin over Gatlin on Sunday was eight-hundredths of a second and came only weeks after Gatlin defeated Bolt for the first time, at a meet in Rome. | |
| Bolt, 26, is still in a sprinter’s prime, and he continues to do what matters most: win under great pressure and with everyone expecting it. He has now won two Olympic titles and two world titles in the 100. | Bolt, 26, is still in a sprinter’s prime, and he continues to do what matters most: win under great pressure and with everyone expecting it. He has now won two Olympic titles and two world titles in the 100. |
| “He’s definitely a showman; he’s a gamer, and he’s the best out there,” Gatlin said. “Not only does he produce the best. He brings the best out of you.” | |
| This was not Bolt at his most flamboyant, however. He still clowned around and mugged for the television cameras beforehand, pretending to open an umbrella and hold it aloft as he prepared for the start. | This was not Bolt at his most flamboyant, however. He still clowned around and mugged for the television cameras beforehand, pretending to open an umbrella and hold it aloft as he prepared for the start. |
| He also struck his trademark Bolt victory pose after his lap of honor. But it all seemed more subdued than usual in the rain and with big blocks of seats empty at Luzhniki Stadium, which was no more than two-thirds full for what is usually regarded as the premier event of these championships. | He also struck his trademark Bolt victory pose after his lap of honor. But it all seemed more subdued than usual in the rain and with big blocks of seats empty at Luzhniki Stadium, which was no more than two-thirds full for what is usually regarded as the premier event of these championships. |
| Earlier, the Russians got their first gold medal of the championships with Aleksandr Ivanov winning the 20-kilometer race walk, but the Americans dominated the undercard for the men’s 100. | Earlier, the Russians got their first gold medal of the championships with Aleksandr Ivanov winning the 20-kilometer race walk, but the Americans dominated the undercard for the men’s 100. |
| The decathlete Ashton Eaton and the long jumper Brittney Reese won world outdoor titles after winning gold medals at the London Olympics. Their success in Moscow was no given. Many a reigning Olympic champion did not make it here because of injury, including the Kenyan 800-meter star David Rudisha, the British heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and the Russian steeplechaser Yuliya Zaripova. | The decathlete Ashton Eaton and the long jumper Brittney Reese won world outdoor titles after winning gold medals at the London Olympics. Their success in Moscow was no given. Many a reigning Olympic champion did not make it here because of injury, including the Kenyan 800-meter star David Rudisha, the British heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and the Russian steeplechaser Yuliya Zaripova. |
| Eaton and Reese had their bumps and bruises, too, with Eaton troubled by a hamstring strain and general fatigue. | Eaton and Reese had their bumps and bruises, too, with Eaton troubled by a hamstring strain and general fatigue. |
| A hip flexor injury limited Reese’s jumping earlier in the year, and she failed to land a clean jump in three attempts at the United States championships and made it to Moscow only because she had automatic entry as a reigning world champion. | A hip flexor injury limited Reese’s jumping earlier in the year, and she failed to land a clean jump in three attempts at the United States championships and made it to Moscow only because she had automatic entry as a reigning world champion. |
| On Saturday, she had a cold and nearly failed to qualify for the final, but there has been no better long jumper and few better athletes under major-meet pressure than Reese in the last four years. Her second jump of 7.01 meters Sunday was 24 centimeters short of her season best, but it ended up being what she needed for victory as Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria settled for silver with a best effort of 6.99. Okagbare, who is having a breakout season, may be making other trips to the podium here. She is also a medal threat in the 100 and the 200. Sunday’s two-centimeter margin was Reese’s smallest margin of victory in any major championships, and there now have been six such victories. | |
| She has won the last three world outdoor titles, the last two world indoor titles and the Olympic gold medal. If she had been this dominant 30 years ago when track and field was a major sport in the United States, she might have been more celebrated. | She has won the last three world outdoor titles, the last two world indoor titles and the Olympic gold medal. If she had been this dominant 30 years ago when track and field was a major sport in the United States, she might have been more celebrated. |
| It will be intriguing to see if Eaton can make more significant inroads. He has charisma and already has the world record, setting the mark of 9,039 points at last year’s Olympic trials in his home city, Eugene, Ore. His 10-event total of 8,809 points in Moscow was well below that but was still a remarkable achievement. | |
| Michael Schrader of Germany took the silver medal with 8,670 points; Damian Warner of Canada took the bronze with 8,512. | Michael Schrader of Germany took the silver medal with 8,670 points; Damian Warner of Canada took the bronze with 8,512. |
| Mary Cain, a 17-year-old from Bronxville, N.Y., finished sixth in her first-round heat of the 1,500 meters on Sunday and advanced to the semifinal round at her first world championships. | |
| In the women’s 10,000, the Ethiopian star Tirunesh Dibaba won her third world title at the distance to go with her victories in 2005 and in 2007. | In the women’s 10,000, the Ethiopian star Tirunesh Dibaba won her third world title at the distance to go with her victories in 2005 and in 2007. |
| Dibaba broke away — as is her custom — on the final lap to win in 30 minutes 43.35 seconds, with Gladys Cherono of Kenya second in 30:45.17 and Belaynesh Oljira of Ethiopia third in 30:46.98. | Dibaba broke away — as is her custom — on the final lap to win in 30 minutes 43.35 seconds, with Gladys Cherono of Kenya second in 30:45.17 and Belaynesh Oljira of Ethiopia third in 30:46.98. |
| As Dibaba finished with a satisfied grin, the rain must have felt like a reward on a warm, humid night. But the weather deteriorated, and as Bolt and Gatlin and the others stared down the blue track at their objective, small puddles formed in some of their lanes. | |
| They were soon off, however, despite Gatlin’s concerns that the race might be delayed. And after Bolt crossed the finish line, there was a lightning bolt flashing across the sky. | They were soon off, however, despite Gatlin’s concerns that the race might be delayed. And after Bolt crossed the finish line, there was a lightning bolt flashing across the sky. |
| “I need to get that picture right now,” Bolt said later. | “I need to get that picture right now,” Bolt said later. |
| He has had much more memorable nights, but that photograph will be hard to top. |