Usain Bolt's last 100-meter final to cap off memorable career

By Chris Lotsbom

Four finals are on tap for Saturday at the IAAF World Championships, most prominently the men’s 100 meters. Can Usain Bolt go out on top and win his seventh World or Olympic gold in the discipline? 

As long as Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman advance cleanly through the semifinals Saturday evening, they’ll be Bolt’s main challengers come the final in primetime. Bolt has faced a bit of a soft schedule leading up to Worlds, but he’s shown he rises to the occasion when it matters most. 

The track and field world has been lucky to witness Bolt re-write the history books seemingly year after year for nearly a decade. Savor the moment watching him in what is likely his last 100 final Saturday evening.

The other track final on tap for Saturday night is the women’s 10,000, where Almaz Ayana —such a dominant force in 2016 — comes in as a wild card having been plagued by injuries all year. Of all the Olympic champions competing in London over the next two weeks, she’s likely one of the longest shots to take gold again. Her teammate Tirunesh Dibaba will also race, looking for her sixth World Championships gold. Irene Cheptai, Agnes Tirop, and Alice Aprot will all sport the Kenyan kit aiming to return their country to the top of the podium. 

Could Molly Huddle gain redemption from two years ago and snag a medal, or can Emily Infeld earn her second at a world champs? Only time will tell. 

Medalists will be determined in a pair of field events, as the men’s discus and long jump champions will be decided as well. American Jeff Henderson won gold at the Olympic Games by just a centimeter, edging South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga. Manyonga is the current world leader, but Henderson didn’t qualify for the final, leaving Jarrion Lawson as the only American still left in the competition. 

Robert Harting and Piotr Malachowski have long been the faces of the discus in recent years. While still podium contenders and favorites, they will need to contend with powerful Swede Daniel Stahl —the current world leader with a 233-10 (71.29m) mark— and Jamaican Fredrick Dacres. Dacres has won gold at the youth and junior ranks, and now is poised for a senior run. 

A plethora of semifinals, prelims, and qualifying rounds will also be Saturday. Among them are the women’s 1,500 semifinals and the opening rounds and prelims of the women’s 100. Can Elaine Thompson defend her crown earned at the Olympics last year? That will be answered in the coming days.

Editor's Note: Official entry lists and declarations will come on Thursday, so the above is subject to potential scratches or substitutions.