Willy Tarbei stuns David Rudisha in Racers Grand Prix

Willy Tarbei (right) shifts up the gears on his way to winning the 800m finals during at a past World Youth Championship trials at Nyayo Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Kenya’s World and Olympic champion David Rudisha was beaten for the second time this season when he fell to World Under-18 800m champion Willy Tarbei on Saturday at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday.

  • The race organised by the multiple World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt and dubbed ‘Salute to a Legend’ was to mark Bolt’s last race at his home turf in Jamaica.

  • Rudisha couldn’t find top gear in the 800m and was unable to stop Tarbei from coming through on the inside.

Kenya’s World and Olympic champion David Rudisha was beaten for the second time this season when he fell to World Under-18 800m champion Willy Tarbei on Saturday at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday.

The race organised by the multiple World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt and dubbed ‘Salute to a Legend’ was to mark Bolt’s last race at his home turf in Jamaica.

Rudisha couldn’t find top gear in the 800m and was unable to stop Tarbei from coming through on the inside. Tarbei, who is also the World Under-20 800m silver medallist, won in 1 minute and 44.86 seconds to Rudisha’s 1:44.90, season’s bests for both.

“I think I need to work on my last 100 metres and get back my momentum,” said Rudisha. “I wanted to win for this fantastic crowd but I’m happy to be in Jamaica on this memorable occasion for Usain.”

World Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett beat Rudisha in Shanghai on February 1. Bett clocked  1:44.70 in a race where Rudisha settled fourth in  1:45.36.

The 35,000-strong crowd lived up to its billing to salute their legend Bolt as he won the 100m in style.

Minutes before the fireworks lit up the clear night sky, Bolt shared centre stage with long-time sprint relay colleagues Michael Frater and Nickel Ashmeade in a sentimental and symbolic 100m race.

Bolt, competing in his season opener and his final race in Jamaica, showed signs of race rustiness early on, allowing training partner Jevaughn Minzie to get a jump start.

However, midway he bolted into the fray, in his inimitable way, then zoomed away from the field for a comfortable win in 10.03 (0.2).

Incidentally, Bolt’s first ever international 100m race some 10 years ago produced the same time.

It was, of course, almost half a second shy of his 9.58 world record from 2009, but having missed a block of training following the death of his friend Germaine Mason, Bolt wasn’t overly concerned with what the clock said.

“It was one of my worst races,” he said. “My execution wasn’t all that great. I wasn’t worried about the time; I just wanted to compete in front of my fans.”

IAAF President Sebastian Coe attended the meeting and paid tribute to a man who will leave an incredible lasting legacy in athletics.

“I am here just to thank someone who has changed the face of our sport, and has encouraged so many young people to our sport, and the journey now has to continue,” said Coe.

On a warm night for sprinting, the international men’s 100m held earlier in the evening provided an acid test for the contenders to the soon-to-be-vacated throne of the world’s fastest man.

South African record-holder Akani Simbine, who has already bettered the 10-second barrier six times this season and won at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha, found 2011 world champion Yohan Blake in a no-nonsense mood.

Blake rocketed out of the blocks and sped away from the field en route to a 9.97 (0.6m/s) victory, delighting the vociferous home crowd. Simbine took second place in 10.00 followed by Keston Bledman in 10.22.

While the 100m races produced the biggest reactions from the crowd, the best performance of the night came from world and Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk.

A new men’s 200m world champion will be crowned in London for the first time since 2009 and Van Niekerk is among the likely successors. The South African offered a glimpse of the future with a world-leading 19.84 (1.2m/s) victory, breaking the national record in the process.

In the women’s event, Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste scored a narrow win in the women’s 100m over USA’s Jenna Prandini, 11.13 to 11.16 (-0.8m/s).

Jamaica’s Demish Gaye ran the race of his life in the 400m, upsetting Olympic fourth-place finisher Machel Cedenio and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon by pulling away on the home straight to win in a PB of 44.73.

World champion Allyson Felix, running her first 400m this season, achieved a commanding win in a meeting record of 50.52. It was the first time Felix had won an individual event in Jamaica.

Two weeks after running a world-leading time over 5,000m, five-time world champion Mo Farah carried his sublime form into Kingston, but he was made to work for his 3000m victory.

The Briton increased the tempo on the bell lap where he surged past Australia’s Pat Tierman, crossing the finish line in a Jamaican all-comers’ record of 7:41.20. Tiernan was second in a PB of 7:41.62.