Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt won his third straight 100-meter final at the Olympics Sunday night – a feat no one had accomplished before now at the games thus confirming his status as one of the greatest athletes ever.
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Bolt, who turns 30 on the final day of the Games, is aiming high in what he has said will be his final Olympics, bidding to continue his streak of gold in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, the unprecedented “triple-triple”.
Gatlin secured silver (9.89) while Canada’s Andre De Grasse (9.91) was third.
Gatlin got off from the block with a burst and it took Bolt until around 85m for the Jamaican to catch him and leave him training.
“Somebody said I can become immortal”, Bolt said after his latest win. His previous Olympic final times were 9.69 in Beijing, then a world record, followed by an Olympic record 9.63 in London.
He was in cruise control in his heat on Saturday, upping the ante considerably by no more than cantering to 9.86 in the semi-finals, even managing a grin as he glanced right and left, and looked set to go seriously quick in the final.
Bolt received a hero’s reception as he walked out into Rio’s Olympic Stadium before the race, and the crowd chanted his name after his victory.
Bolt admitted he had never heard boos like it and said he was “shocked”.
Gatlin’s first drugs ban in 2001 was reduced from two years to one after he proved the amphetamines he was taking were for an attention deficit disorder.
Gatlin had recorded the fastest time of the year, clocking 9.80 last month, while Bolt injured a hamstring at the end of June. “It was brilliant. I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won”.
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“After the semi-final I felt extremely good, ” Bolt added. “I told you guys I was going to do it”, joked Bolt amid back slapping and hand pumping from his Jamaican brothers.
