Scorching tracks and record books

The only thing that could tumble Usain Bolt at the bird's nest was a pot bellied camera man riding a segway scooter. Justin Gatlin came close but that was probably the only consolation for the United States track team who lost out on all the six coveted sprint titles in the 100m, 200m and the 4X100m relay. Beijing was the place where Bolt announced his arrival in 2008 and seven years later, he ran into an orbit inhabited only by him and perhaps out of reach by mortals aiming to follow in his incredible foot steps. The Jamaican has now won all of the three fast races in the major championships starting from the China Olympics except one. The 2009, 2011, 2013 and recently concluded 2015 world championship titles are embellishments to his defense of his 3 titles in London 2012. The only blemish continues to be his 2011 Daegu disqualification for a false start in the 100m. 17 golds from a possible 18 is as mind boggling a performance as is his dexterity at sprinting despite being significantly over 6 feet in height. The enormity of the laurels he has won can only be put in perspective from the fact that he now matches the great Carl Lewis in the number of gold medals won in the Olympics and the world championships. His humongous strides have more than made up for the disadvantage of a slower initial acceleration. He has indicated that the glittering career may end at London in 2017 and if he manages to add another six major titles to his already bulging kitty, the track would bow in deference afforded to none before and in all probability never again. 

Catch me if you can

Mo Farah imitates Bolt with the lightning pose topping it with his signature M after the race but he is a trail blazer by himself in no small measure. A triple double in the 5000m and the 1000m starting at the 2012 London games, followed by Moscow and now in Beijing are titles that put him right on top of the list of great long distance runners. The Kenyans and the Ethiopians  come out in hoards to topple the Briton but his burst in the final lap leaves them all in his wake. He runs at the back and even cools his heels in the water puddle but when it comes to the finishing line, there is little anybody can do match his strides, a thing of ultimate beauty. He would go to Rio as the favorite to defend the titles he won at home and a double there would enhance a legacy that is already legendary. A "mobot" in Brazil will be some sight to behold.

M the best

Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce may not be as common a name when compared to her illustrious compatriot but her achievements in the 100m make her one of the great women sprinters of all time. Akin to Usain, she had a bad 2011 in South Korea but barring that hiccup, has won all the 100m titles starting from the 2008 summer games. She has been instrumental in some thrilling relay wins for Jamaica and remains in pole position to defend her title in 2016. There have been few world records broken in China but the one that did get broken was in the grueling decathlon. Ashton Eaton came in as the defending champion but managed to go a bit further by shattering his own mark. His final run at the 1500m event left everyone gasping and firmly established the American as one of the all time great athletes. The middle distance races of 400m, 800m and 1500m had their share of expected winners while a couple of new stars emerged. On the men's side, Kenyans Rudisha and Kiprop landed the gold coming in as favorites while Ganzele Dibaba had to be satisfied with the 1500m title after being ambushed by a sterling run by fellow country woman Almaz Ayana in the 5000m. The 400m men's title went to another young South African in Wayde van Niekerk who outran the American Merritt in a pulsating final and had to be stretchered out from the stadium more out of shock than fatigue. Another athlete to make her mark was Dafne Schippers. The former heptathlete in Oranje missed out on the 100m by a whisker but her blistering gold medal run in the 200m announced the arrival of a serious threat to the US/Jamaican hegemony in the sprints. If these world championships were an indicator to the impending summer games, we should be in for some history making under the eyes of  "Christ the Redeemer".