Bolt beaten in season opener

Monday, 11 February 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Jamaican Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt was beaten in his first race of the 2013 season on Saturday, finishing third in a low-key 400 metre event in his hometown of Kingston.

The triple gold medallist from both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics easily won his heat in 46.71 seconds at the Camperdown Classic.

But he had to settle for third place overall after his training partners Warren Weir and Yohan Blake both posted faster times in their heats.

“I’m happy, I’ve never been so nervous running a 400m but overall I’m happy. Physically I felt good, not as good as I normally would, but overall I feel good,” Bolt . “I didn’t matter about the time, I just wanted to complete this race, I know I may have one more for the season, maybe two depending on what the coach wants.”

Weir, who finished third behind Bolt and Blake in the 200m final at London last year, won in a personal best time of 46.21 seconds.

Blake, racing in the same heat as Weir, stopped the clock at 46.64 after fading in the final straight following a blistering start.

Bolt is the world record holder and double Olympic champion for the 100 and 200 sprints but often competes in 400 races at the start of each season to build his fitness.

His major goal this year is the world championships in Moscow.