Man held after Bolt bottle incident (From The Argus)

Man held after Bolt bottle incident

9:12am Monday 6th August 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

A man remains in custody after a bottle was thrown on to the track at the start of the men's 100m final at the Olympic Stadium.

A police spokesman said a man had been heard shouting abuse and was then seen throwing a bottle immediately before the race, which was won by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

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. But when you're in those blocks and the whole stadium's quiet you can hear a pin drop."

Bolt told reporters he had been unaware of the incident. He added: "No, I keep hearing that. I don't know who would have done that." Fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake 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."

Nobody was injured during the incident and the event was not disrupted, police said. The suspect is being held in custody at an east London police station on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

A Locog spokesman said: "A man was arrested inside the Olympic Stadium last night after throwing a plastic bottle on to the track just before the men's 100m final.

"The incident had no impact on the competitors or the event. Locog does not tolerate abusive or anti-social behaviour and will seek to remove people behaving in this way from its venues."

Locog was unable to say which section of the stands the bottle was thrown from, but the man appeared to be sitting near members of the Dutch Olympic team behind the 100m start line.