Olympic star Usain Bolt held off the field to win the 100 metres Friday at IAAF Diamond League Monaco event, while Canada’s 4×100-metre men’s relay team of Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Gavin Smellie was disqualified after a bad exchange.
Bolt edged American Isiah Young to win in a season-best time of 9.95 seconds.
“It’s always good to get a win. My time is going down at the right time,” the Jamaican said, looking ahead to the worlds. “Everything is coming together.”
Young’s time of 9.98 was 0.01 shy of a new personal best, while Akini Simbine of South Africa (10.02) beat out Chijindu Ujah for third place in a photo finish.
“I was so close to Bolt at the end of his great career. Couple of days ago I was told I will run the 200 in London, so this sub 10 is great preparation for that,” Young said. “I need to execute well and then I can attack a medal in that event.”
Usain Bolt wins the 100m in Monaco after a poor start.https://t.co/GgkmqIM78Ppic.twitter.com/FDw2KGoi4U
Bolt is retiring after the world championships in London next month.
De Grasse and the rest of Canada’s team failed to finish in the six-team relay field.
The disqualification came after a fumbled exchange between Rodney and De Grasse, the team’s anchor.
China recorded a season-best time of 38.19 seconds to take the victory while a pair of American teams with times of 38.30 and 38.41 rounded out the podium.
Barber finishes sixth
Canadian Shawn Barber continues to head in the right direction as the world championships approach.
The 23-year-old finished in sixth place with a season-best vault of 5.72 metres.
Men’s #MonacoDL@Diamond_League pole vault: @vaultbarber finishes 6th with season’s best 5.72m pic.twitter.com/ZM6dQJpM1d
Barber cleared the height on his second attempt before failing all three of his attempts at 5.77.
McBride sets season-best
Brandon McBride set a season-best time of 1:44.41 in the men’s 800 while Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir set a world-leading time of 1:43.10 to take the victory.
Solid race and runner-up finish for Brandon McBride (@mcbride46) in the #MonacoDL 800m with SB of 1:44.41 pic.twitter.com/srH5y5Hrtz
Antoine Gakeme of Burundi finished in third just 0.13 behind the Canadian.
Brandon McBride on season-best silver medal:
‘That was the goal’0:37
