Usain Bolt makes an appearance in 400m race

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt wins Olympic gold August 5 2012. PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

Usain Bolt kicked off his sprint season Saturday by making a rare appearance in a 400-metre race and finishing in 46.74 seconds in Kingston, Jamaica.

Bolt, who has back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4×100-metre relay, overtook Allodin Fothergill in the homestretch to win his heat.

Bolt’s biggest rival, Yohan Blake, ran 46.64 in a separate heat, finishing second to Warren Weir, the 200-metre Olympic bronze medallist , who finished in 46.23.

There were no finals in the small meet, the Camperdown Classic, which drew about three dozen sprinters to Kingston’s National Stadium.

Bolt, the world-record holder in the 100 and 200, used to run the 200 and 400. But while getting ready for the 2008 Olympics, he took up the 100 and took a break from the longer distance.

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