Diamond League: Usain Bolt breezes to 200m victory in London

By Doug Harrison

Usain Bolt posted a convincing victory in the men's 200 metres at London Diamond League Friday night and, more importantly, didn't show any ill effects from a hamstring injury suffered at Jamaica's Olympic trials three weeks ago.

Bolt had a decent start at the old Olympic Stadium before pulling away from his seven opponents and stopping the clock in 19.89 seconds before a crowd of more than 35,000.

• SCHEDULE: Diamond League on CBC Sports, CBCSports.ca

"I'm not fully in shape. I need more work but over time I will be fine," Bolt told reporters. "I could feel the rust. The execution I think up there wasn't perfect but it was my first run so I can't complain."

The only complaints Bolt had were targeted at American rivals who had lightly suggested, not strongly, that he got preferential treatment by being allowed to skip the Jamaican trials.

"I felt it was a joke," Bolt said. "I felt it was a disrespect the fact they think I'd back out of a trials. Me, Usain Bolt who has proven myself year [after] year that I'm the greatest.

"I laughed when I heard it. I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin."

Bolt, who ran a meet record 19.76 on July 26, 2008, said in March he wants to run sub-19 seconds in the 200 and was planning to win three gold medals at the upcoming Rio Summer Games.

The 29-year-old won the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 Summer Games in London. Should Bolt sweep again in Brazil, he would share the record of nine Olympic track and field titles with Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis.

Alonso Edward of Panama finished second on Friday in a season-best 20.04, while Adam Gemili was third in 20.07, also a season best. American Sean McLean was disqualified after a false start.

Canada's Brendon Rodney was sixth in 20.37, far off his personal best of 19.96, established at the Canadian Olympic trials two weeks ago in Edmonton, where the 24-year-old Hamilton native became the second Canadian in history to dip under the 20-second barrier.

"He's gotta take this opportunity and establish himself as someone who should be looked at every time he runs a race," Canada's Donovan Bailey, who won the 100 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, told CBC Sports this week.

McBride threatens Canadian 800 mark

On a warm night, Canada's Brandon McBride burned around the track at the old Olympic Stadium.

The 21-year-old from Windsor, Ont., who will compete in Rio, turned in a sensational 800 metres, setting a personal-best time of one minute 43.95 seconds in finishing second to Pierre-Ambroise Bosse of France (season-best 1:43.88).

• WATCH: France's Bosse wins 800m, Canadian McBride is 2nd

McBride, who just completed his senior year at Mississippi State University, fell just shy of Gary Reed's Canadian record of 1:43.68, set on July 29, 2008 in Monaco. 

McBride was coming off a victory at the Canadian Olympic trials in Edmonton, where he clocked 1:45.25. Earlier this month, he was fourth at his Diamond League debut in Monaco in 1:44.90, which threatened his previous PB of 1:44.50, set at the NCAA championships in June.

Brown, Haynes miss 100 final

Aaron Brown is heading in the wrong direction (track-wise, that is) two weeks before the Rio Games.

The 24-year-old Toronto native failed to qualify for the men's 100-metre final. Brown's 10.29-second performance placed him eighth in a field of nine in the first of two heats.

Two weeks ago, Brown ran 10.07 to finish second to Andre De Grasse at the Canadian Olympic trials. He opened eyes last month in Florida, clocking a personal best time of 9.96, becoming only the second Canadian man in 17 years to run sub-10 seconds.

Fellow Canadian Akeem Haynes also failed to reach Friday's final after clocking 10.24 in the second heat. Haynes finished third at trials in a time of 10.21.

Jimmy Vicaut of France won the final in 10.02, followed by Isiah Young of the United States (10.07) and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands (10.10).

• WATCH: Jimmy Vicaut wins 100m at Diamond League

Brown and Haynes will join Mobolade Ajomale and Oluwasegun Makinde on the Canadian 4x100 relay team in Rio trying to match a bronze medal from 2015 world championships.

Hurdler Harrison shatters 28-year record

Kendra Harrison of the United States broke a 28-year world record in the 100-metre hurdles by running 12.20 seconds.

• WATCH: Kendra Harrison sets 100m hurdles world record

The confidence-boosting run comes after the 23-year-old American failed to make the U.S. team for Rio.

Harrison says "not making the Olympic team I was really upset and I wanted to come out here and do what I know what I could have done" in Rio.

Speaking on the Olympic Stadium track in London, Harrison said: "I was coming out here with just vengeance to show these girls what I have."

Harrison finished ahead of compatriots Brianna Rollins and Kristi Castlin to surpass Yordanka Donkova's previous mark of 12.21 set in August 1988.

Other Canadian results:

• Shawn Barber (pole vault): Late scratch due to illness
• Phylicia George (100 hurdles): 7th, 13.17 seconds
• Alyx Treasure (women's high jump): 7th (tied), 1.92m

On Saturday, more than 50 reigning Olympic, Paralympic and world medallists will be in action, including Canadians Gen Lalonde and Erin Teschuk in the 3,000 steeplechase and sprinter Kim Hyacinthe in the 200.

With files from The Associated Press