Usain Bolt made history last night by becoming the first athlete in history to win three Olympic gold medals in the men’s 100m final in Rio.
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Usain Bolt created history on Sunday evening as he defeated American rival Justin Gatlin to win his seventh Olympic gold with another successful defence of his 100m title. Gatlin was second with a time of 9.89, with the Canadian Andre de Grasse third in a personal best 9.91.
The Jamaican superstar became the first man to win three Olympic golds in the blue riband event, securing his seventh crown overall by recovering from an very bad start to blast to victory in 9.81 seconds.
In other events, there was another world record set – the third of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in track and field – with Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland throwing the hammer 82.29 meters to break her own mark on her way to gold.
“It wasn’t about the time, it was just about winning the gold and going out on top”, said Michael Johnson, four-time Olympic champion and BBC Sport analyst. He explained “somebody said I can become immortal”. “I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won”.
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray won his second straight men’s singles tennis gold, beating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a marathon final which drained both men. “It wasn’t flawless today, but I got it done and I’m pretty proud of what I’ve achieved”, he said, adding: “Nobody else has done it or even attempted it”.
The victory is the first rung on the ladder towards an unprecedented triple triple of sprint titles for the Jamaican, with the 200m and 4x100m relay still to come. Yes, these sprinters are only going for less than 10 seconds, but they still need ample recovery time after a race if they are expected to be at their best. I just ask people, when they come out here, they’re getting enthralled in the excitement, I understand that. I’m a competitor, he’s a competitor.
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That’s not what happened, though, and Bolt was none too pleased about it after the race. Before the Olympics, Bolt hadn’t run a 100 since June 30, when he pulled out of Jamaica’s national championships with injuries to his left hamstring.
