Bolt returns to Olympic track for 200m qualifiers

Two days after becoming the first athlete to win three Olympic gold medals in the 100 meters, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt returned Tuesday to Rio’s Engenhao stadium for the 200meter qualifiers.

Running at midday under an unforgiving sun, a tiredlooking Bolt, who has long dominated the event, was less talkative and more serious than usual.

Even so, he completed the distance in 20.23 seconds to qualify, while his main rival, U.S. runner Justin Gatlin, advanced with a time of 20.42.

The main surprise of the day was Spain’s Bruno Hortelano, recent winner of the European Championship in Amsterdam after Dutch sprinter Churandy Martina was disqualified for stepping out of his lane.

Hortelano advanced to the semifinals with a time of 20.12 seconds, the secondbest of the session and a new Spanish record.

Among the other qualifiers were Panama’s Alonso Adward, Jose Carlos Herrera of Mexico and Costa Rica’s Nery Brenes, who also set a new national record.

The 200m semifinals will be contested on Wednesday, with the final set for the following day.