Usain Bolt's dominance has its 'downside'
Jamaican's performances at the worlds are good enough to shut out his rivals but he's in danger of slowing down if no one really takes him on
Usain Bolt is undoubtedly the biggest name in world sport but unless someone emerges who is able to realistically challenge his hegemony then even the majestic Jamaican might begin to lose some of his stardust.
Bolt completed another individual sprint double when he added the world 200 metres title to the 100 he took a week earlier but his victory left something of a hollow feeling, achieved as it was with him easing up in the last 15 metres.
Having secured the same double at the last two Olympics and the 2009 world championships and almost certainly denied another only by a false start in the 2011 world 100m final, Bolt's victories are less races than processions.
Coming off an injury-hit start to the season, his winning times in Moscow - 9.77 and 19.66 seconds - are way down on his 2009 world records of 9.58 and 19.19, but still nobody was even remotely close to challenging him.
The Jamaican, always more at home in the longer sprint, was completely relaxed as he prepared for the race and did not change his demeanour as his giant stride ate up the ground on the opening bend.
It was in the bag halfway down the straight and he eased up in the last few strides while the rest of the field were bursting their lungs in his slipstream in the fight for the minor medals.