Usain Bolt and Sally Pearson both safely negotiated their way through qualification at the world championships on Friday as Yelena Isinbayeva backtracked over her apparent support of Russia’s anti-gay law.
Two-time defending world champion Bolt cruised his 200m heat in his bid for a third successive title in the event.
The 26-year-old Jamaican, who won the 200m titles in Berlin in 2009 and Daegu in 2011 and is also double Olympic champion and world record holder, eased up with fully 40 metres to run, clocking an easy-going 20.66sec.
“I’m feeling good. I’m not a morning person. I worked really hard this week,” said Bolt, who has been nursing a sore foot.
Australia’s defending world 100m hurdles champion Pearson comfortably won her heat to advance to Saturday’s semi-final alongside a strong quartet of Americans: Olympic champion Dawn Harper, Brianna Rollins, Queen Harrison and Nia Ali.
Off the track, Russian pole vault star Isinbayeva was the centre of a backlash from activists and fellow track and field legends after backing Russia’s controversial new anti-gay law and saying competitors at the Sochi Winter Olympics should respect it.
Isinbayeva on Thursday came out in support of the law signed by President Vladimir Putin in June which punishes the dissemination of information about homosexuality to minors.
Activists argue it could be used for a broad crackdown against gays, although Russian authorities have said all athletes will be free and safe to compete at the Winter Olympics regardless of their sexual orientation, as long as they obey Russian law.
The comments by Isinbayeva, an ambassador for both the IOC Youth Olympics and the February Winter Olympics in Sochi, drew outrage from the likes of American 400 metres legend and world record holder Michael Johnson.
Isinbayeva’s management obviously did belatedly advise her, the Russian issuing a statement on Friday clarifying her comments, but falling short of a full apology.
“English is not my first language and I think I may have been misunderstood when I spoke yesterday,” she said.