Usain Bolt has made Olympic history as he raced to his third Olympic gold medal in a row.
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He laughed when somebody suggested Gatlin could take him down over his favourite distance and repeated his claim that his own 19.19 seconds world record from 2009 was within range.
His main rival, United States’ Justin Gatlin and the 2004 Olympic champion took home the silver in 9.89 seconds. Andre De Grasse of Canada won bronze.
“If we got more time, it would definitely be faster”.
He quickly found full flight, however, and reeled in the field for an easy victory.
But it was the American who exploded fastest from the blocks, holding the advantage at halfway, before Bolt hit his stride and tore up the ground between them. “Two more gold medals to go and I can sign off: Immortal”. “I told you guys I was going to do it”.
The American has served two drugs bans, though he denies any deliberate wrongdoing for either, and at 34 was bidding to become the oldest 100m champion.
Not so fast, Usain Bolt.
And the sport’s greatest showman produced an even better run when it really mattered to send the Olympic Stadium into raptures. “So I’m going to run with that one”, he said on what the next step up would be.
When Usain Bolt crosses the finish line and starts pounding his chest, it resonates with the public around the world. Mi know Gatlin couldn’t beat him, and just as expected, the man prove too strong for the field. He’s been caught for doping twice.
Gatlin would have been heading toward a second Olympic gold in the 100 against anyone else, something that would not have pleased the crowd that booed him because of his doping suspension. “I’d like to see everyone have respect in the audience”. But fans in the stadium bought into the “Good vs”.
He then delighted the fans with his traditional “lightning bolt” pose as reggae blasted out of the stadium sound system.
An hour after he won, he was still conducting TV interviews, beneath a raucous crowd still in the stands chanting “Bolt, Bolt, Bolt” and straining for selfies with a speck of Bolt over their shoulder. Yes, the show lived up to its billing.
It began in Beijing in 2008, when as a 21-year-old he thrilled the globe with a world record run, astonishing not only for his speed but for the audacity with which Bolt jogged through the final meters.
Amidst the excitement was a smidgen of disappointment with Yohan Blake finishing outside of the medals in fourth place. He had time to look left and right before turning the power off, showing off the smile the world has come to love.
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There was some concern because Bolt missed Jamaica’s Olympic Trials last month because of a sore hamstring (Jamaica has different rules than the U.S.as far as Olympic teams go and put Bolt on its team anyway). It was No. 7 over three Olympics for Bolt, and the odds are he will have two more before these Olympics come to a close.
