Thessaloniki (Greece), Sep 14 (DPA) Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt ended his season with victory in the 200 metres at the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Meanwhile American Carmelita Jeter ran the fastest women’s 100m for 11 years and the fifth fastest ever Sunday when she clocked 10.67 seconds to beat world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica.
World and Olympic treble champion Bolt clocked 19.68 seconds in a commanding 200m victory ahead of Wallace Spearman of the US (20.21) and Brendan Christian of Antigua (20.65).
It was the last race of the season for Bolt, 23, who has complained of fatigue and has cancelled further appearances in Asia.
“I wanted to run faster but I was really tired after the long season. No more races for me, it is time to rest,” he said.
Bolt did not compete in Saturday’s 100m won by Tyson Gay of the US in 9.88 seconds ahead of Jamaica’s Asafa Powell (9.90) and Darvis Patton of the United States (10.00).
He won a world title treble in Berlin last month when he bettered his world records in the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19).
Jeter, third in Berlin, meanwhile became the third fastest woman of all time in winning the 100m.
Her 10.67 has been bettered only by world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49) and fellow American Marion Jones (10.65), and was the fastest since Jones’s time from Sep 12, 1998.
Fraser was second in 10.89 and Jamaican compatriot Kerron Stewart, the silver medallist in Berlin, third in 10.90.
In other competition Sunday, Kenya’s William Biwott Tanui triumphed in the men’s 1,500m in 3 minutes 35.04 seconds ahead of Leonel Manzano of the US and fellow Kenyan Augustine Kiprono Choge.
World champion Sanya Richards of the US posted her 10th consecutive win this year with victory in 49.95 in the 400m, while world and Olympic champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica dominated the 400m hurdles in 53.36
Blanka Vlasic was among the world champions to win their events, with the Croatian leaping 2.04m to take the women’s high jump.
Also continuing her fine form was New Zealand’s world and Olympic champion Valerie Vili who posted a personal best of 21.07m for her 25th consecutive shot put victory.
Elsewhere there were victories among others for American Anna Willard in the women’s 800m in 2:00.20, Ethiopian Imane Merga in the men’s 5,000m (13:29.75), Kenya’s world champion Ezekiel Kemboi in the 3,000m steeplechase (8:04.38) and world champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados in the 110m hurdles (13.16).
Total prize money of just over $3 million was at stake at the two-day 36-event meeting, with $30,000 going to the winners of each event.
rounak