Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake won the men's 100-meter final Sunday at the World Championships in Daegu after defending champion Usain Bolt was sensationally disqualified for a false start.
Bolt, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, seemed to be in imperious form earlier Sunday to qualify for the final in South Korea, where he was the overwhelming favorite, despite countryman Blake setting the day's quickest qualifying time of 9.95 seconds.
But the sprint superstar, 25, was ejected from the race after moving out of lane five's blocks well before the gun, becoming a victim of the 2010 rule change that no longer allows early starters a second chance to compete.
A distraught Bolt ripped off his shift in disgust at the false start and was led away from the track by race officials amid shock among a Daegu crowd hoping to witness another historic run from the world-record holder.
Instead, it was left to Bolt's training partner, Blake, to run a season-best 9.92 seconds and become the youngest world champion at 21.
Blake was a clear winner ahead of American Walter Dix and Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Dix took silver with a time of 10.08 seconds, 100th of a second faster than the bronzed-placed veteran Collins, who led through 50 meters.
Afterward, Blake and Collins spoke of their shock at the events of the final.
"I can't find words to explain it. Usain Bolt has been there for me. I feel like I want to cry," Blake told AFP. "I've been trained by one of the best coaches [Glen Mills], but I stayed cool and caught him [Collins]. I felt I would win the race for Bolt."
Collins, who effectively claimed a medal as a result of Bolt's disqualification, said that the zero-tolerance rule for false starts needed to be re-examined.
"They're going to have think again. People will be demanding their ticket money back," he said. "[The crowd] came to see Usain Bolt win. They don't come to see me or Blake. . . . It's not a great day for track and field at all."
Bolt's exit meant that the final was raced without the reigning Olympic champion and the three fastest men this year, Bolt's teammate Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay — both missing through injury — and Jamaican Steve Mullings, who failed a drug test in June.
Bolt still has the 200-meter and a leg of the 400-meter relay to race in South Korea.
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