So these have been going since Saturday and obviously the big British story so far has been Mo Farah adding the 10,000m to his Olympic gold and making up for his agonising silver two years ago. The fact that it was panning out almost identically, with Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan on his shoulder AGAIN going into the home stretch, made it all the scarier.

 

Last night it was all about Bolt - the final two years ago was surreal not just for him being disqualified for a false start but for seasoned athletes running incredibly slow times. No such drama last night, he had his trademark poor start but it never really looked in doubt. Britain's James Dasaolu came dead last in a weak time when he would have won a bronze with a similar run to his 9.91 at the trials, but after a terrible heat where he was lucky to get through then he proved a lot of people wrong running under 10 seconds in the semi to make it through.

 

Mixed fortunes for Britain elsewhere - most of our track athletes have got through their heats with a couple looking liked possible finalists and Christine Ohuruogu looks like one of two runaway favourites for the 400m tonight. However, Shara Proctor bottled it and could only finish 6th in the long jump after qualifying top with a jump that would have won a medal.

 

We have a lot of faint medal hopes as the week progresses and our relays look stronger than they have for a while - oddly with the exception of the men's 4x400 despite it historically being our best one.

9.77 in the pouring rain. Quite another amazing performance. Glad Usain beat Gatlin who has served two drugs bans.

 

Good to see the World Athletics Championships back on the BBC after Channel 4's attempt in 2011 most remembered for Ortis Deley presenting skills.

 

Also big well done to Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba who took her 5th World Championship gold medal in the woman's 10,000m.

I'd forgotten that Gatlin's first ban was a short one as a junior for some ADHD medication - I'm generally in favour of an instant lifetime ban on your second senior offence (which I think might be the rule now anyway) but he's hardly as repentant as Dwain Chambers.

Ohuruogu wins by FOUR THOUSANDTHS of a second in a new British record. Phew.

 

Will Sharman 5th in the hurdles, equals his result from two years ago and four hundredths off his PB set last month. Good run but in his interview he says he should have gone faster - bodes well for the Europeans and the Commonwealths next year (the latter of which he came 2nd in behind Andy Turner three years ago).

Shame that the woman's discus gold medallist was Croatia's Sandra Perkovic who served a six-month ban in 2011 for taking a banned substance.

Edited August 13, 201311 yr by kenukcsf

And of course LaShawn Merritt, who won a strange 400m final tonight where Kirani James looked really out of sorts. He's done this before, he got the better of Jeremy Wariner in 2008 when he was the favourite and reigning champion by going out quickly and holding his form.

 

Merritt's failed test was apparently due to an over-the-counter penis enlargement product. So apparently it's not just James who thinks he's a massive dick :basil:

Isinbayeva - what a bxxch!.

 

Gutted that I watched her event willing her to get a home win only to find out her views on homosexuality and the Russian anti-gay stance.

Shameful behaviour from a such a high profile athlete.