Bolt, Blake and Ashmead advance to 200m semis

Aug 17, 2016 Sports

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Defending champion Usain Bolt and team mates Yohan Blake

Yohan Blake competes in the Men’s 200m Round 1 during the athletics competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 16, 2016. (Photos: AFP)

and Nickel Ashmead have advanced to today’s 200m semi-finals after all three qualified in round one of the Olympic event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil a short yesterday.
Blake was first to qualify for the 200m semi-finals after clocking a season’s best of 20.13 seconds, placing second to Spain’s Bruno Hortelano (20.12) in his heat.
Then, Ashmead went to the blocks where he won heat six in 20.15s, beating Britain’s Adam Gemili (20.20s) into second.
Bolt was the final Jamaican to compete and easily won heat nine in a comfortable 20.29s, ahead of Nigeria’s Ejowvokoghene Oduduru, who clocked a personal best of 20.34s.
American rivals Justin Gatlin (20.42s) and Lashawn Merritt (20.15) were also first in their heats. Canada’s Andre De Grasse won his heat in 20.09s, which was the fastest time of this morning’s heats.
Only first and second place finishers automatically qualified for the semi-finals followed by the four fastest losers.