(Reuters)
For 9.81 glorious seconds on Sunday (August 14), all the ills that have dogged athletics recently were forgotten as Usain Bolt stormed to victory in the 100 metres final to become the first man to win three successive Olympic titles on the track.
The Jamaican superstar trailed arch-rival Justin Gatlin, roundly booed by the Rio crowd for his doping past, until the 70 metre mark but then swept past the American, finding time to pat his chest as he crossed the line a metre clear.
Gatlin, the 2004 champion who came into the race with the season’s fastest time of 9.80, took second in 9.89. Canada’s Andre de Grasse claimed bronze in 9.91 seconds – the same finishing order as in last year’s world championships.
Victory took Bolt a step closer to his goal of winning a historic “triple-triple” combination of gold in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay in three consecutive Olympics.
Other than the 2011 world championships, when he was disqualified for a false start, Bolt has won every other global championship individual sprint race since 2008.
That equates to five Olympic golds and seven in the world championships. Throw in two more Olympic and four world championship 4x100m relay golds and the world record in all three events and that is total and utter domination.
“Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal,” Bolt, 29, told reporters.
Already assured of his legend status, Bolt also added to his reputation as sport’s number-one crowd pleaser as he took a leisurely circuit of the stadium, posing for pictures and shaking a thousand hands.
If the fans were pleased, it is hard to imagine the relief felt by officials of the IAAF and IOC, who must have been dreading a Gatlin victory.
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.
The Rio fans certainly showed what they thought of him as he was loudly booed as he entered the arena, and Gatlin returned the compliment by being the only finalist not to acknowledge the crowd.
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 came out here to prove to the world that I am the greatest, and that’s what I did, and I’m proud of myself, for the execution, that I came out and did that, I’m happy,” concluded a smiling Bolt.
Olympic athletics men’s 100m final result:
1. Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.81 seconds
2. Justin Gatlin (U.S.) 9.89
3. Andre De Grasse (Canada) 9.91
4. Yohan Blake (Jamaica) 9.93
5. Akani Simbine (South Africa) 9.94
6. Ben Youssef Meite (Ivory Coast) 9.96
7. Jimmy Vicaut (France) 10.04
8. Trayvon Bromell (U.S.) 10.06
