Carl Lewis is the only other man to have won back-to-back titles. Andre de Grasse of Canada won the bronze.
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He was also effusive in his praise for Bolt.
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. He plans to compete at next summer’s world championships in London before retiring.
Justin Rose won the first golfing gold medal at the Olympics in 112 years Sunday, beating Henrik Stenson by two strokes, and Simone Biles added a third gold in gymnastics, capturing the women’s vault title.
An hour after securing his third successive Olympic 100 metres gold on Sunday, Usain Bolt was still patiently making his way through another 100 metres – the zig-zag “mixed zone” where TV crews from around the world wait to snatch a sound bite.
Bolt is heavily favored to win gold in the 200 meters (his favorite distance) and he has not lost a final at the distance since the 2012 Jamaican trials.
Speaking of world records – a few minutes before Bolt’s race, world champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa eclipsed what many thought was the most-unbreakable mark in the book – Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old run of 43.18 seconds in 400 meters.
Jemima Jelagat Sumgong became the first Kenyan to win the women’s Olympic marathon, a race that featured Estonian triplets who entertained themselves and others by doing an in-sync dance with their flag draped over six shoulders.
Bolt appeared to be in trouble after a slow start, but he cruised past Gatlin in the last 30m and found time to thump his chest as he crossed the line.
After winning his semi-final, when he had also been booed, Gatlin let his momentum carry him straight through the tunnel leading to the athletes’ private area under the grandstand.
A year ago might have been Gatlin’s best opportunity to beat Bolt. He showed he was going to be a factor in the 100 meters from the start, posting the fastest time in Saturday’s prelims. Not a bad career at the Summer Games.
Bolt was slow out of the blocks, and Gatlin led at the halfway point. In the semifinals, his race was similar and yet, looking like a man on a casual Sunday stroll and flashing a smile as he glanced across to his trailing rivals, he posted a time of 9.86, the joint third fastest in the world this year.
“He’s upbeat because he said it will be his last Olympics and he wants to go out in a glory, so you can expect great things from him”, his father Wellesley Bolt said.
“Usain Bolt will be retiring soon, but this could be the next star of the sport”, Johnson said during his commentary on BBC. They wanted more, and he delivered once again, turning his yellow hat backward before kneeling down and doing his “To the World” pose.
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By the age of 12, Bolt was the fastest in his school.
