The Simbine-Bruintjies victories were further proof of South Africa's move to challenge the Caribbean strangle hold on sprinting after Wayde Van Niekerk's amazing Olympic and world championship efforts in the 400m and 200m.
Seb Coe, the IAAF president and refreshingly frank commentator, accurately observed of Bolt's departure that you do not just replace Mohammad Ali.
Monday night proved he was correct in the sense that Blake is not just to assume the role of dominant sprinting figure, the field is now open.
Akani Simbine of South Africa (right, gold) and Henricho Bruintjies of South Africa (at left, rear, silver) celebrate their respective medals.
Photo: AAP
In the women's 100m Michelle-Lee Ahye became the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to win a gold in track and field when she won in 11.14s.
Earlier in the night Linden Hall was a half-step from her games being all over. Having led for half the race Hall was coming home hard down the straight when she was clipped from behind.
She stumbled and lost ground but kept her feet and was able to recover and still get home to qualify for the 1500m final in 4:08.64.
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“It could have been bad news if it was a bigger group around. I was a little worried … the interruption in momentum was going to be an expensive mistake but I got lucky,” Hall said.
In the previous 1500m heat Australias Georgina Griffith took a hit to make a hit. She saw the track ahead blocked with 120m to go so dropped back a stride, stepped out and around the field and surged down the home straight in a personal best time 4:06.41.
Caster Semenya, the world 800m and 1500m runner was always going to win the heat but Griffiths powerful run home down the straight pushed her into second place behind the South African and a spot in the 1500m final.
Steve Solomon nearly tripped early in his race and lost time but still recovered to advance to Tuesdays final in the 400m after running 45.55s.
“I stumbled out of the blocks and hard to work hard to get energy and speed back up. I was impressed I was able to stay on my feet and keep going and I think it cost me a bit coming into the home straight having to expend that energy early on,” Solomon said..
National champion Celia Sullohern who last year won the City to Surf and Melbourne Marathon, ran an aggressive race in the 10,000m to push hard at the Kenyans and Ugandans controlling the tempo of the race. She flagged in the last lap to finish fifth in 31.50.75 which was a personal best by more than 30 seconds.
“I gave it my all. I had a ball. I didnt quite have it but so exciting,” she said.
Evan OHanlon won gold in the T38 100m when he ran 11.09s to dominate the field and ensure Australia sustained its golden start to the athletics from Sundays three gold medals.
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Michael Gleeson is a senior AFL football writer and Fairfax Media's athletics writer. He also covers tennis, cricket and other sports. He won the AFL Players Association Grant Hattam Trophy for excellence in journalism for the second time in 2014 and was a finalist in the 2014 Quill Awards for best sports feature writer. He was also a finalist in the 2014 Australian Sports Commission awards for his work on Boots for Kids. He is a winner of the AFL Media Association award for best news reporter and a two-time winner of Cricket Victorias cricket writer of the year award. Michael has covered multiple Olympics, Commonwealth Games and world championships and 15 seasons of AFL, He has also written seven books – five sports books and two true crime books.
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