Isaac Makwala has booked his place in the semi-final of the 200metres at the World Athletics Championship with a time of 20.20seconds.

Isaac Makwala had no option but to make the solo run after being suspended from the initial qualifying race after contracting norovirus.

The loneliness of the short distance runner certainly captured the attention of the London crowd here on Wednesday night.

They knew Isaac Makwala had been denied the opportunity to contest the 400m final the previous evening because medical officials had said he had contracted the highly contagious norovirus.

Just as they knew he had declared himself fit to run, only for those officials to turn him away at the entrance to the stadium amid cries of sabotage and conspiracy and the chaos of a world athletics championships that seems to become more bizarre by the day.

Makwala was prevented from running in Monday’s opening 200 metres heat and Tuesday’s 400m final after falling victim to an outbreak of sickness that has hit scores of competitors.

The 30-year-old, seen as a leading contender in both events, had insisted he was fit enough to race while the sport’s world governing body had said he had an infectious disease and needed to be quarantined.

But on Wednesday the IAAF said the quarantine period had ended and Makwala could run in the semi-finals in the evening – provided he first achieved the qualifying time of 20.53 seconds in an individual time trial before the main session.

After heading over the finishing line, the Botswana star dropped to the track and immediately started doing push-ups, a sign to many of the onlookers that he considers his fitness to be in the highest order.

Culled from Mail Sport