Bolt's Shock Exit Prompts False Start Review

The disqualification of 100m Olympic champion Usain Bolt at the World Championships has prompted athletics bosses to look at changing the false start rule.

The Jamaican sprinter , who holds the world record in the 100m - 9.58 seconds - had been an advocate of the policy of immediate disqualification for setting off before the gun, which came into effect in January 2010.

When the rule change was suggested in 2009 Mr Bolt told Jamican paper The Gleaner: "I have no problem, I never false-started yet. It will be better for the sport. It will be a problem for some people but not for me."

But the 25-year-old phenomenon set off too soon in the final in Daegu on Sunday and under the "one-strike" ruling was forced to sit out the contest.

While his training partner and countryman Yohan Blake, 21, powered to the title in 9.92 seconds, the exit of the most high-profile athlete on the planet has sparked furious debate.

Mr Bolt later told the IAAF website: "Of course I am extremely disappointed not to have had the chance to defend my title due to the false start.

"I was feeling great through the rounds and was ready to run fast in the final. I worked very hard to get ready for this Championships and things were looking good. However I have to move on now as there is no point dwelling on the past."

A number of other athletes, including Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu - who was the reigning 400m world champion - have also fallen foul of the false start rule.

Top athletes could miss finals - and medals - if the rule remains the same, which could be a disaster at the Olympics Games in London next year.

While the London 2012 chairman, Lord Coe , said "it's a rule ... we have to be careful about re-visiting a rule", the IAAF vice-president said it is likely to be discussed.

"It would be a mistake to quickly reverse the decision," Bob Hersh told the BBC.

"It's not on any current agenda but I wouldn't be surprised if it were reviewed. We will have to go back and talk to our stakeholders and discuss further."

The IAAF , who have around three board meetings a year, are next scheduled to meet on Sunday in Daegu, and the rule could be overturned, though not everyone thinks it should be.

Former Olympic champion Darren Campbell, 37, said: "I'm as disappointed as anyone else because I'm an athletics fan first and foremost and you want to see the best athletes run, but you have to put it into perspective.

"In this situation everyone is upset because the leading man in the movie unfortunately fluffed his lines, but that's why we love sport. How boring would it be if every time we turned up we knew what the result would be?"

And former 200m Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson wrote in the Times: "I've never false started and to be honest I don't think it's that hard to avoid one.

"Fans who don't understand the consequences of a second-chance rule will say, 'hey, we'd rather see Usain Bolt'."

Meanwhile on Monday Dayron Robles of Cuba was disqualified of his mark and the title in the men's 110m hurdles final after he was adjudged to have hit Chinese rival Liu Xiang.

Running in lanes next to each other, the sprinters were neck and neck with one hurdle to go when Mr Robles' right trailing hand was seen striking Mr Liu.

The stripping of Mr Robles' medal saw American Jason Richardson claim gold, Mr Liu silver and Brit Andy Turner win bronze - Britain's second medal of the championships.