London 2012: Man in custody after bottle thrown onto Olympic Stadium track
A man arrested after a bottle was thrown on to the track of the Olympic Stadium before the men’s 100m final was still in custody this morning.
The incident happened just moments before the final, won by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, started.
A spokesman for the Met Police said a man had been heard shouting abuse and was then seen throwing a bottle immediately before the race.
It landed just behind the starting blocks.
Speaking after the race, US sprinter Justin Gatlin, who won bronze, said: “It was a little distraction and I didn’t know what it was.
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“But when you’re in those blocks and the whole stadium’s quiet you can hear a pin drop.”
Gold medallist Bolt told reporters he had been unaware of the incident.
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He added: “No, I keep hearing that. I don’t know who would have done that.”
Fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, who won silver, said: “I was so focused I didn’t see anything. I was so focused on just running to the line.”
Edith Bosch, Holland’s world judo champion, claimed on Twitter that she had “beaten” the person who had thrown the bottle.
She said: “A drunken spectator threw a bottle onto the track! I HAVE BEATEN HIM... unbelievable.”
The suspect is being held in custody at an east London police station on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.
Gatlin said the incident had not affected the race: “You just have to block it out and go out there and do what you got to do.
“You can’t complain about that, the race went on and it was a great race.”
