AFP/Zurich
Crowd favourite Usain Bolt coasted to victory in the men’s 200m in the Diamond League meeting here yesterday, clocking a meet record of 19.66 seconds in inclement weather conditions. Bolt, fresh from his second successive triple gold haul at the Olympics, came into the final stretch just ahead of compatriot Nickel Ashmeade on his inside.And then the imposing 26-year-old switched on the afterburners in his drive phase to ensure a comfortable win in his favoured event. Ashmeade, who did not compete in the Olympics after only finishing fourth in the Jamaican trials, claimed second in a personal best of 19.85sec. Jamaicans also took third and fourth spots in the shape of Jason Young (20.08) and Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir (20.18). Later Bolt’s compatriot Yohan Blake continued his impressive form in the blue riband event of the 100 metres with a comfortable victory.The 22-year-old world champion became the second fastest man in the world after clocking 9.69sec in Lausanne last week to equalise American Tyson Gay, with Usain Bolt leading the way. And Blake held his nerve in chilly, wet conditions in Zurich as Gay was disqualified for a false start. After resettling in his blocks, Blake, who won 100m and 200m silver medals at the Olympics, rocketed out and powered through the line in a meeting record of 9.76sec. “I am not at all surprised that after the Olympics I am coming out so strong and so fast. It’s because my coach has a plan for me,” said Blake of Glen Mills, who also coaches double Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt. “Next year I can be even better. I am feeling good. And I am not surprised to run so fast in bad weather because I am the beast, bad weather cannot stop me. “It’s a pity that Tyson Gay could not run with us, the race would have been even more competitive.” Blake’s compatriot Nesta Carter, a key component of Jamaica’s all-conquering 4x100m relay team, was second in a season’s best of 9.95sec, with American Ryan Bailey taking third in 9.97sec. Meanwhile, Ethiopian teenager Mohammed Aman trumped world and Olympic champion David Rudisha of Kenya in emphatic style in the men’s 800m.This race, Rudisha’s only outing since he won gold in London earlier this month in a new world record of 1min 40.91sec, had been billed as another chance for the 23-year-old Kenyan to better his own mark. But no one had counted on the kick of 18-year-old Aman, who finished sixth at the Olympics but who importantly last year became the first and last man to defeat Rudisha since 2009. Starting in lane seven with Kenyan training partner Sammy Tangui on his outside, Rudisha bolted past his pacemaker in the opening strides. A grimacing Tangui caught up to act the hare, but missed his ambitious target of 48.5sec for the first 400m, going through the bell in a disappointing 49.59sec with Rudisha in hot pursuit. With any chance of a world record completely out of the window in cold, wet conditions, Rudisha found himself in front but in a real dogfight with Aman, who kicked past the Kenyan world champion as the duo rounded the last bend.