Usain Bolt’s Puma spikes.
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“It was brilliant. I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won. I did what I had to”.
Canada’s Andre de Grasse took bronze in 9.91, reports Xinhua.
Victory on a warm night at the Olympic Stadium left Bolt a 200m victory and a 4x100m relay success away from completing his mission.
The world record holder had said in February he would retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships.
Gatlin was upbeat after the race but hinted he could retire from the sport.
It was the seventh Olympic gold medal of Bolt’s career as he confirmed his status as the greatest sprinter in history.
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.
The final was billed as “Bolt versus Gatlin” before the preliminary races had even seen the starter’s gun.
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.
Bolt ran the 100 in a time of 9.81 seconds.
That did not materialise – his time was a season’s best yet his slowest winning mark in a global 100m final – but Bolt, whatever the situation, knows how to win.
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American Justin Gatlin, fastest in the world this year with 9.80 and likely to be Bolt’s main threat in the final, also looked strong and controlled his semi-final in clocking 9.94. “It is the first time I have come into a stadium and they booed someone. It’s challenging but it’s what we train for”. “I told you guys I was going to do it. Stay tuned, two more to go”.
