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August 6th 2017

Published: August 7th 2017

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John Miranda

Usain Bolt

World Athletics Championships London 2017 Mens 100 Metres

The alarm clock went off at the usual time. However, I wasn't going to work. It was a weekend and there was no motivation needed to get out of bed today. The World Athletics Championships started the previous night. London 2017. It wasn't the Olympic Games of London 2012, but the nation was coming together thanks to Sir Mo. He had stormed to victory in the 10,000 metres the previous night, evoking memories of the double on home soil. We had tickets for tonight. The Legend of the athletics was bowing out tonight. The Bolt was going in his final major championships, looking to add to the haul of gold. Excitement was in the air. We skipped breakfast and pointed the car south.

The M11 was quiet and the A14 near Huntingdon had behaved itself. We sought out our usual north east London parking place amongst the chaos that is traffic in the capital. I should qualify that - free parking place. A bit of research always pays off and we settled into Waitrose for a free coffee - our treat, as the shop says. The athletics wasn’t due to start until 7 pm, so we went in

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Stadium

search of alternative entertainment. It was a short ride on Bus 123 to Walthamstow. We alighted at the William Morris Gallery, a 10 minute stroll from the centre. Morris was the preferred interior designer of Victorian Britain, long before anybody had thought of the concept of interior design for the masses. The former Morris family home, Water House, has now been transformed into a gallery paying homage to the man. Morris spent some of his early years at Water House, which at the time was in leafy Essex. His father worked in the City and made some shrewd investments in Devon copper mines that allowed the family to live in some splendour. The original family home was at the now demolished Woodford Hall and the move to Water House was a downsizing to a house of more modest means after Mr Morris Senior died suddenly. When you look at the Georgian splendour of Water House and think this was a downsize, Woodford Hall must have been some place.

The William Morris Gallery was a showcase of his work from poet through to interior designer through to social activist. The associations with Rossetti and the Desparate Romantics was

London Stadium

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Stadium

explored, along with the rise of the Morris & Co business and the opening of a flagship store on Oxford Street. Morris later devoted large amounts of his money and time to the socialist cause. The fine fabrics and furniture he championed were way beyond the aspirations of those in the slums of the day and the basic challenges of life were more about food to eat than the chair to sit in. An art space was devoted to an exhibition of works by the nearby Walthamstow College of Art in the 1960s. The College was at the centre of the swinging 1960s and produced a number of talents in the arts and music world including Ian Drury. Drury attended the College in the early and mid 1960s. The letter informing him that he failed his Diploma was prominently displayed along with a couple of his paintings. A film highlighting some of the other students from the time ran on a loop on the first floor.

Water House and the surrounding parkland – Lloyd Park - is a tranquil spot in the bustle of East London. It is obviously no longer leafy Essex and the terraces of

Usain Bolt

World Athletics Championships London 2017 Mens 100 Metres

Victorian Britain completely engulfed the original rural isolation. As with much of East London, the gentrification process is in full swing. Hope Street, which links through to the centre of Walthamstow, was clustered with a concentration of patisseries and cake shops. Windows full of decorative sugar and cream creations were on full display. They clearly have a sweet tooth in the new Walthamstow. A series of antique and bric a brac shops marketed period ornaments and furniture to recreate the nearby homes. I also noted that there was no shortage of barbers in this part of the world. The High Street had received a pedestrianised makeover, forcing traffic away from the locals seeking retail therapy. The gentrification had ended at the junction with Hope Street. We walked back up towards Forest Road and the former College of Art. The Bell had featured in the film about the College in the William Morris Gallery. As with all hostelries, no doubt some of the finer ideas for art came over a small refreshment or two. We glanced in and I think it was fair to say that the pub had undergone a makeover to match the upwardly mobile now residing in the

Usain Bolt

World Athletics Championships London 2017 Mens 100 Metres

area. The art deco Waltham Forest Town Hall along the road was looking splendid in the afternoon sun. We caught Bus 123 back to seek access to the Central Line and onwards to Stratford.

Five years on from the Olympics of London 2012, the “Olympic Stadium” has been renamed the London Stadium and sits in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Olympic legacy talked of so much has since seen West Ham United decamp from the Boelyn Ground and take up residence. The stadium colours had been carefully edited with the corporate brand for the World Athletics Championships, but there was no disguising the claret and blue on the exterior or the seats within. A new generation has grown thinking of this area not as the centre of sporting excellence, but as a shopping destination. The huge Westfield shopping centre was playing host to both the usual shoppers and the world of athletics. Construction in the surrounding area is still ongoing 5 years on, but the Aquatic Centre and the Stadium still dominate the immediate vista beyond John Lewis. It was after 4 pm when we arrived and the morning athletics had finished. The evening session audience

London Stadium

were getting there early and there were effectively 2 sell-out crowds in a small area. It was still technically 90 minutes to the gates opening, but already large queues were building at the entrance bridges. The lucky ticket holders were keen to make sure they were not delayed by security. We joined them.

The main event was the final solo appearance of Usain Bolt. The Jamaican crowd was out in force, although it probably hadn’t travelled far to be here. The supporters were colourful. Black. Green. Gold. The 3 colours dominated with a smattering of other nationalities and those who had still managed to fit into their London 2012 Team GB tee shirts. The major disadvantage of getting inside the concourse early was the price of the concessions. I thought the new Wembley had this extortion market under control, but this event at the London Stadium seemed to have taken things to a new level altogether. Pie & Chips? Certainly sir – that will be £9.50. The attractively priced Meal Deal to include a bottle of mineral water didn’t seem to add that much extra value at £12.50. The list went on. A jumbo chilli

Usain Bolt

World Athletics Championships London 2017 Mens 100 Metres

dog at £7. A bottle of Heineken was yours for a mere £5.50. I wouldn’t have been tempted, even if my lottery ticket had just rolled in. We walked over to try and look over the warm up track. A huge crowd had gathered, all stretching to see Bolt going through his own brand of a loosening session. The man has star quality even when he is wandering around with his headphones on. The seats we had acquired were Category B and offered a reasonable view of the 100 metres start and finish. The Semi Finals were the first event on the track. The noise and excitement rose as the athletes emerged. Silence descended as the starter brought them on to the blocks. Bolt had his characteristic poor start before accelerating into 2^nd place behind one of the Americans. He then eased off and was content not to cross the line as a winner. At this point, many in the crowd possibly realised that the Golden Farewell might not happen. The Discus Final took place right in front of us. The Long Jump Final was off to the right. The Womens 10,000 metres turned into an exhibition run for the

Waltham Forest Town Hall

Ethiopians and Kenyans with the winner pretty much lapping the rest of the field. Katerina Johnson Thompson put in a half- hearted shot put and a creditable 200 metres, but as usual had probably left herself too much to do on the second day. The next Jessica Ennis Hill would have to wait for another competition to assume her crown. The crowd waited impatiently for the main event. Seats that had remained empty in the sell-out stadium filled. The Jamaican flag sellers had done well. A streaker made an appearance from near the start line. He made 80 metres and was totalled by a hefty rugby tackle by the security. Fireworks greeted the finalists. Bolt swaggered in, looking for all the world like he was relaxed and ready. The head wasn’t talking to the feet when the starter gun fired. There is being fast, but on this occasion there was too much to do. It looked like the young American pretender, Coleman, would announce himself to the world. However on the outside lane, the villain of the piece wrote his own history. Justin Gatlin – vilified for previous drugs offences – proved that the comeback is always possible and powered

London Stadium

through the finish in 9.92 seconds to claim the prize. The crowd was stunned. It wasn’t immediately clear to most that Gatlin had won and when it dawned on the majority, boos replaced cheers in large sections.

The party was over. It was history, but not as we planned it and certainly not as we dreamed it. The crowd filtered away into the night.

Usain Bolt. Forever Fast.

IAAF World Athletics Championships

London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London

Saturday 5th August 2017

1900 Hours

Appendix 1

Mens 100 Metres Final

1. Justin Gatling (USA)

2. Christian Coleman (USA)

3. Usain Bolt (Jamaica)

Appendix 2

Womens 10, 000 Metres Final

1. Alamaz Ayana (Ethiopia)

2. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)

3. Agnes Tirop (Kenya)

Appendix 3

Mens Long Jump Final

1. Luvo Manyonga (South Africa)

2. Jarrion Lewis (USA)

3. Rushwai Samaai (South Africa)

Appendix 4

Mens Discus Final

1. Andrius Gudzius (Lithuania)

2. Daniel