Bolt's 200 defence highlights track worlds' 2nd half

So far, the world track and field championships have been full of surprises.

That hasn't always been good news for the U.S. sprinters. No longer are the powerful Jamaicans the only threat, either.

Unknowns are bursting onto the scene at this meet in South Korea that sets the stage for next summer's London Olympics, stealing attention from American stars such as Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt.

The 400 metres was supposed to be Felix's race, the first leg of a difficult double that would culminate with her trying to win a fourth straight 200 title.

But an unheralded Amantle Montsho of Botswana used a strong finish to beat Felix at the finish and leave the charismatic American wondering whether she will even go for the double in London.

Kirani James, a teenager from tiny Grenada, then unseated Merritt as champion in the men's 400 with a lean at the finish line. He was able to reel in Merritt over the final few metres, something that never used to happen.

Merritt is hardly race sharp, as he's coming off a 21-month suspension for doping. He still has plenty of time to get back into elite form to compete in London, provided, of course, he's even eligible.

He has to wait on a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport on the IOC's "six-month rule," which prevents athletes who receive doping bans of more than six months from competing at the next Summer or Winter Games. A decision is expected to be rendered in late September.

Nothing he can do about that. But on the track, it's completely within his power.

"I came in with a game plan and didn't quite stick with the plan. That's on my part," said Merritt, who will be a member of the 1,600-meter relay that begins Thursday. "I'm feeling healthy. I still feel strong. I'm just looking to move forward."

Usain Bolt, the biggest star in track, is ready to look ahead, too. Yet even after he false started in the 100, the U.S. failed to win gold. Once Bolt was disqualified, another Jamaican, Yohan Blake, kept the title for the Caribbean island. Walter Dix couldn't close the gap and settled for silver.

Tyson Gay (hip) will be returning to the field in London after sitting out at the worlds. But so will Asafa Powell (groin), and don't count on Bolt false-starting there.

The world's fastest man will be anxious to atone for his mistake, a process that will start Thursday night in the first round of the men's 200 (CBCSports.ca, 10:10 p.m. ET), while it's America's Carmelita Jeter who will be going for a surprising sprint double in Daegu.

Headed into the 100, Jeter had the fastest time in the world this season. But given the Jamaicans' dominance in the event and Jeter's history of not coming through in big races, she seemed like an unlikely winner.

It took her 10.90 seconds to erase that perception. By holding off Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jeter showed she can step up — and may have established herself as the favorite heading into the Olympics.

Now, she's feeling no stress heading into the 200.

"All the pressure is pretty much over," Jeter said.

That's not quite the case for Felix. She wanted to challenge herself at the worlds this year and just not focus on her signature event, the 200.

A little drained from all the rounds of the 400 — and with no gold to show for it — she will have her hands full with Campbell-Brown & Co.

As for whether she might double in London, Felix said she won't make any decisions until after the worlds, once she's had a chance to assess how much strain the two events placed on her body.

She did set a personal best in the 400, though, finishing in 49.59 seconds, a fraction behind Montsho.

"I think the disappointment really overshadows it," Felix said. "But I'm grateful for this experience, to be on this stage in the 400. If you would've asked me a few years ago, I would never have thought I would've been here [in the 400]."

Hardly a surprise, the Americans are in the mix at the top of the medal standings with nine overall, one fewer than Russia. The Russians won two Wednesday in the only event on the program, the women's 20-kilometre walk. Olympic champion Olga Kaniskina won the race and teammate Anisya Kirdyapkina was third.

Another surprise gold for the Americans came from Jason Richardson, who crashed the party in the 110-metre hurdles.

The race featured the three fastest hurdlers in history — Dayron Robles, Liu Xiang and David Oliver — and Richardson initially finished behind Cuban world-record holder Robles to take the silver. But Richardson was bumped up to winner when Robles was disqualified for repeatedly bumping the hand of Liu going over the final few hurdles.

"It still hasn't completely set in," said Richardson, a 25-year-old who trains in Southern California with Jeter under the direction of coach John Smith.

For Jeter, her accomplishment hit her the moment her head touched the pillow the night of the race. Sleep would never arrive.

"I just couldn't turn my brain off," Jeter said. "I kept thinking of the joy of seeing everybody else's face so happy and so happy for me."