Bolt, Gatlin breeze; Harting wins discus

BROTHER'S CROWN: Gold medal winner Christoph Harting of Germany competes in the men's discus throw final. (Reuters)

UNDERDOG: Justin Gatlin of USA, left, and Antigua's Daniel Bailey compete in the men's 100m round 1 on Saturday. (AFP)

ALL SMILES: Gold medalist Australia's Kimberley Brennan, center, is flanked by silver medalist US' Genevra Stone, left, and bronze medalist China's Duan Jingli as they celebrate on the podium of the women's single sculls final rowing competition at the Lagoa stadium on Saturday. (AFP)

FAVORITE: Usain Bolt of Jamaica competes in the men's 100m round 1 on Saturday. (Reuters)

RIO DE JANEIRO: Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin warmed up for their 100m Olympic showdown on Saturday with easy victories as German discus thrower Christoph Harting claimed his brother’s crown.
Bolt and Gatlin are poised for the final chapter of their long rivalry in Rio on Sunday when they are expected to duel once more for the title of fastest man on the planet.
The two sprinters easily negotiated their opening heats on a raucous morning session at the Olympic Stadium, with Gatlin topping the qualifying times with a tidy 10.01sec.
Jamaican superstar Bolt, bidding to win 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles for a third straight Games, was fourth quickest in 10.07sec.
Afterwards Bolt said he was pleased to have got off the mark without any problems.
“I’m feeling good. I’m happy. As I said, I’ve got the first one out of the way so I’m happy about that,” Bolt said, predicting a fast semifinal.
“It’s definitely going to be a good semifinal. There are a lot of guys running fast. It’s good. It gets you running and gets you up to speed to go out there in the finals.”
Gatlin, one of the oldest men in the field at 34, said he was kept on his toes by a crop of young sprinters.
“These young guys coming up, it’s a different breed,” he said. “They’re running with their heart, they’re trying for the finish line and going for that podium.”
The morning’s only gold medal went to Germany’s Harting, who saved his best for last to win gold.
It was an emotional win for Harting, whose famous shirt-ripping brother Robert — the 2012 gold medalist — failed to qualify for the discus final in Friday’s preliminary rounds after suffering a back strain.
Harting took gold with a personal best of 68.37 meters on his sixth and final attempt.
Poland’s Piotr Malachowski took silver with 67.55m and Harting’s teammate Daniel Jasinski bronze (67.05).
“You have moments in your life when you focus completely,” Harting said of his winning throw.
“I said to myself that no one’s going to take that victory away from me.”
Meanwhile the battle for the heptathlon crown is poised to go to the wire after Belgium’s Nafi Thiam edged into a five-point lead over Britain’s defending champion Jessica Ennis-Hill following the morning’s long jump.
Thiam leaped a best of 6.58 meters to leave her up front on a total of 5,018 points. Ennis-Hill only made 6.34m for 5,013 to increase the pressure going into the final two disciplines of the grueling event, the javelin and the 800m.
Meanwhile, Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova’s electronic account at the World Anti-Doping Agency has been illegally accessed, WADA said on Saturday.
The anti-doping body said a “perpetrator” had illegally obtained the password for the athlete’s account, and accessed details, which would normally include her registered whereabouts.
Stepanova, in hiding in North America, helped reveal the biggest state-backed doping program in Russia and was forced to flee the country with her husband.
The Olympic spotlight will switch Saturday night to the final swimming battles where Phelps gets a chance to go out in glory, and a 23rd gold medal, in the 4x100 medley relay. It is an event the United States have never lost at the Olympics.
Olympic rowing ended Saturday with Great Britain winning the men’s eight gold to top the medal table for the third successive Games.
Victory was Britain’s third gold on the picturesque Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon beside Copacabana beach for a five medal haul.
New Zealand’s Mahe Drysdale retained his men’s single sculls’ and the United States’ celebrated their third straight woman’s eight crown.
Australian Kimberley Brennan took gold in the women’s single sculls — Australia’s first rowing gold since 2008.
In tennis, Andy Murray shrugged off a code violation for directing the word “stupid” at the umpire to crush Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4 and move one win away from becoming the first player to win back-to-back Olympic singles titles.
The world No.2 and reigning Wimbledon champion will face either 2008 Olympic winner Rafael Nadal or Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s gold medal match.