Usain Bolt Tries To Make History Again This Week

Bolt had a shaky start out of the blocks but was able to edge out American sprinter Justin Gatlin, who received a less-than-stellar reception from the crowd inside the stadium. The 29-year-old ran 9.81 seconds in his final Olympics to replicate his success at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

On the Rio Olympics’ 100-meter dash, the legend of sensational Jamaican runner Usain Bolt was cemented just a little bit more. Just shy of his 30th birthday, Bolt won the 100 in a grinding race, with a relatively slow time of 9.81, well off his world-record time of 9.58.

The Jamaican, who holds the world record in the event at 9.58, sported custom, gold spikes for the men’s 100m finals.

‘We work 365 days a year to be here for nine seconds, ‘ Gatlin said after winning his third Olympic medal.

This is what we train for.

“Somebody said I can become immortal”, Bolt said after his 100 victory, according to CNN.

The rest really did go down in history, as Bolt surged across the line in first to claim his seventh Olympic gold medal.

Chants of “Bolt, Bolt, Bolt” rang out from the near-capacity stadium.

If the fans were pleased, it is hard to imagine the relief felt by officials of the IAAF and International Olympic Committee, who must have been dreading a Gatlin victory. He was the only runner in the final – the only track and field athlete all day for that matter – who was booed by the fans.

Many thought Gatlin could beat Bolt in Rio.

Bolt, in contrast, brought the spectators to a fever pitch of excitement as he strolled in, smiling and waving, to chants of “Bolt, Bolt, Bolt”. “I’d really like to compete against him over 300m”, said Bolt. A crammed schedule isn’t among the chief complaints we’ve heard about the Rio Olympics, but it’s one to keep an eye on.

Minutes earlier, Wayde van Niekerk won the 400-meter title in a world-record 43.03 seconds, lowering the mark set by Michael Johnson in 1999.

As for now, it’s a case of putting behind the 100m and setting his sights on facing Bolt in the 200m, with the first round to start Tuesday.