| Host City: Moscow, Russia | Format: Preliminary round (First 2 & 3 fastest to first round) (Aug 10) |
| Dates: 10 August 2013 – 18 August 2013 | Format: First round (First 3 & 3 fastest to semi-finals) (Aug 10) |
| Nations participating: 203 | Format: Semi-finals (First 2 & 2 fastest to final) (Aug 11) |
| Athletes participating: 1,784 | |
| | | Main venue: Luzhniki Stadium
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| Overview by IAAF | | |
| This event was overshadowed when in July 2013, it was announced that two of the biggest names in sprinting – Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell – had each failed doping tests. Gay at the US Championships on June 23 and Powell at his own national championships two days earlier, With Yohan Blake injured, returning drug offender Gatlin appeared to be the biggest opponent to Bolt as both set out to win back this particular title. In Rome on June 6, the American had beaten the Jamaican, 9.95 to 9.96. In spite of all the big absentees, Zhang found that a Chinese record of exactly ten seconds (10.000) was not enough to reach the final, in which Gatlin and Bolt were drawn next to each other. Before the finalists went to their marks, the rain started falling and Bolt mimed the opening and raising of an umbrella. After the starting gun fired, Gatlin and Bolt registered the same reaction time of 0.163. The American translated that into a quicker pick-up and led until Bolt caught him at the 55m mark. The Jamaican then cruised away to win by a metre. Three more Jamaicans followed in places 3-4-5. At the instant of Bolt’s victory, one of the defining moments of any World Championships was captured by a remote control camera. French photographer Olivier Morin had positioned his device to get a wide shot of the finish of the race with the rim of the stadium roof and sky in the background. One of his pictures showed a lightning flash overhead just as Bolt crossed the line on the rainsoaked track. “It’s luck and luck only,” said Morin. |
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