Muller Anniversary Games 2016: Friday Athletics Results and Reaction
Usain Bolt comfortably took the win in the 200 metres final of the 2016 Muller Anniversary Games; it was the final event and highlight of a great day of athletics at London's Olympic Stadium.
Running for the first time since suffering an injury that delayed his preparations for the Summer Olympics, Bolt finished in 19.89 seconds, a relatively slow time given his lofty standards.
Kendra Harrison broke the 28-year-old record in the women's 100 metres hurdles final, and Renaud Lavillenie continued his reign of terror, easily winning the pole vault.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here's a look at the top results from Friday's Anniversary Games action:
| Men's 200m | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Alonso Edward (PAN) | Adam Gebili (GB) |
| Women's 4x100m Relay | Great Britain | Brazil | France |
| Men's Pole Vault | Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) | Sam Kendricks (USA) | Kevin Menaldo (FRA) |
| Women's 100m Hurdles | Kendra Harrison (USA) | Brianna Rollins (USA) | Kristi Castlin (USA) |
| Women's 1500m | Laura Muir (GB) | Sifan Hassan (NED) | Meraf Bahta (SWE) |
| Men's 100m | Jimmy Vicaut (FRA) | Isiah Young (USA) | Churandy Martina (NED) |
For the full results, visit the London Diamond League's official website.
Recap
Bolt started from Lane 6, and after a series of false starts and a red card for Sean McLean, the race finally got underway. The favourite for Olympic gold had a solid start and took a hefty lead in the bend, easily finishing the job in the final straight to finish in a time of 19.89 seconds.
Rob Harris of the Associated Press shared this photo, showing the winning margin:
While the time wasn't particularly impressive, his technique of rounding the bend appeared just fine, and the effortless win should be a major confidence-booster ahead of Rio de Janeiro.
Bolt is still working toward his best form, and in all likelihood, he'll be a lot faster in a week or two.
The day started with a bang, as the British women's 4x100 metres team set a new British record in the first major event of the day, taking the top spot. BBC Sport confirmed the result, as the team finished in 41.81 seconds:
Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita made up Great Britain's A team, while Louise Bloor, Bianca Williams, Rachel Johncock and Jacinda Papps also competed, forming a B squad that finished fourth.
The early record-breaking run was no coincidence; the track at the Olympic Stadium ran fast, and athletes broke records and personal bests throughout the day. Local favourite Jessica Ennis-Hill ran a season-best 12.76 seconds in her 100 metres hurdles heat, making the final with ease.
Per BBC Sport's Caroline Chapman, Ennis-Hill was pleasantly surprised by her performance: "I didn't expect to make the final, but I'm really happy to make it. It's great to be back here. The crowd is amazing and it gives you such a buzz. I'm so happy to have run that time ahead of Rio."
And there were even bigger things in store, as Harrison, who didn't even make the American team for the Summer Olympics, finished the final of the same event in 12.20 seconds, smashing a record that had stood for nearly 30 years, per Sean Ingle of the Guardian:
BBC Sport's Dan Walker was a little upset she won't be going to Rio:
Pole-vaulter Lavillenie continued his unbeaten streak at the Olympic Stadium, not failing a single attempt on his way to a vault of 5.90 metres. Sam Kendrick did what he could, pushing Lavillenie close. However, he couldn't improve on his best mark of 5.83 metres, while Olympic champion Lavillenie seemed to have plenty left in the tank still.
Silas Kiplagat beat two compatriots to the win in the Emsley Carr Mile, finishing in 3:53.04, and Scotland's Laura Muir ran a new British record on her way to a win in the 1,500 metres, finishing in 3:57.49.
Local favourite Mo Farah will be in action on Sunday, as he's set to compete in the 5,000-metre event.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
