I could have run faster, says 'rusty' world champ Usain Bolt

Beijing Usain Bolt beat his controversial rival Justin Gatlin by just onehundredth of a second yesterday as he retained his world 100m title in a race billed as a battle between clean sports and doping Bolt the double Olympic gold medallist and world record holder ran his seasonrsquos best of 979 seconds in a thrilling race against Gatlin whorsquos served two doping bansUsain Bolt celebrates after winning the menrsquos 100m final at the Birdrsquos Nest National Stadium in Beijing yesterday PicAFP Gatlin faltered through the closing stages taking silver with 980sec mdash slower than his semifinal time of 977 set earlier at the Birdrsquos Nest Stadium Gatlinrsquos fellow American Trayvon Bromell and Canadian Andre de Grasse shared the bronze medal position after both timing 992secTwo good Jamaicarsquos Usain Bolt hugs USArsquos Justin Gatlin right after beating him to win gold in the menrsquos 100m race at the IAAF World Championships at the Birdrsquos Nest Stadium in Beijing yesterday PicAFPldquoThat still was not the best I still stumbledrdquo Jamaicarsquos Bolt said in reference to clumsy footwork close to the blocks after a similar error nearly derailed him in the semifinal ldquoI came here relaxed no stress and brought it home My aim is to be the number one until I retire and therefore I am pushing myself and pushing myself Itrsquos all about running the race and getting it done You can call that race rusty I could have run fasterrdquoTop guns LR Canadarsquos Andre De Grasse Jamaicarsquos Asafa Powell USArsquos Justin Gatlin USArsquos Tyson Gay Jamaicarsquos Usain Bolt USArsquos Mike Rodgers USArsquos Trayvon Bromell Chinarsquos Su Bingtian and Francersquos Jimmy Vicaut compete in the final of the enrsquos 100 metres event at the IAAF World Championships at the Birdrsquos Nest Stadium in Beijing yesterday PicAFPBolt who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday was greeted with massive cheers at the stadium in which he took the world by storm at the 2008 Olympics with treble sprint gold before repeating the feat in London in 2012 Chants of lsquoUsain Boltrsquo rang around along with acclaim for Chinarsquos Su Bingtian Bolt raising his eyebrows at a classical piano rendition from a Chinese musician and checking out his beard as his face featured on the big screen In their first meeting over 100m since the last final in the Moscow worlds in 2013 when Gatlin also came second to Bolt the American suffered from a slower start than the JamaicanGatlin a renowned fast starter who hasnrsquot lost over 100m or 200m since 2013 and has set personal bests for both distances mdash 974 and 1957sec mdash this season pegged equal with Bolt out of the blocksSandwiched between Mike Rodgers in four and Tyson Gay in six Bolt head down for the first 40 metres moved into his lsquodrive phasersquo unbuckling his long powerful legs but didnrsquot dare look across the field until a savage dip at the line saw him win a memorable raceWith allegations of widespread doping dominating the buildup to the worlds the Jamaicanrsquos showdown with the sportrsquos pantomime villain Gatlin was portrayed by some as a symbolic struggle of light versus dark Gatlin has served two doping bans