FROM THE BBC...
Usain Bolt wins Olympics 100m final at London 2012
Usain Bolt emphatically confirmed his status as the greatest sprinter in history as he retained his Olympic 100m title in peerless fashion.
Bolt, doubted by many after a season dogged by defeat and injury, ran the second-fastest time ever to beat fellow Jamaican and training partner Yohan Blake into silver and American Justin Gatlin into bronze.
Bolt's 9.63 seconds, just 0.05 seconds slower than his own staggering world record,was a new Olympic best and capped a race in which seven men went under 10 seconds, with only the injured Asafa Powell failing to break that mark.
"I was happy when I went out in the first round, I felt I could do this," said the 25-year-old Bolt. "I was slightly worried about my start. I didn't want to false start again, so I sat in the blocks a little bit.
"It wasn't the best reaction in the world but I executed it and that was the key. My coach said 'stop worrying about the start because the best part of your race is the end'. It worked.
"I said it on the track, people can talk, but when it comes to championships, it is all about business for me - and I brought it."
He also praised the crowd inside the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.
"It was wonderful," he said. "I knew would be like this. I can feel that energy and I am extremely happy."
Bolt had been beaten by Blake at the Jamaican trials in July and clocked his slowest-ever 100m time at senior level earlier in the season.
When he admitted both his back and hamstrings were troubling him and said he was only "95%" fit, there were those who felt he was more vulnerable than at any time since his Olympic gold in a world record four years ago, a feat which took him to the pinnacle of his sport.
If this was 95%, then his world record of 9.58secs, set in Berlin in 2009, could have gone had he been fully fit.
He had been worried all season about his start. But there was to be no repeat of the false start that cost him his world title and aura of invincibility at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.
His reaction time of 0.165secs was significantly better than that of both Blake and Gatlin, and although former world champion Tyson Gay got out fast, Bolt was into his long stride quickly.
At 40m Gatlin - banned twice for doping offences - held a fractional lead but Bolt, as so many times before, was about to pull away as no other sprinter in history has.
In Beijing he had eased up in the final 15m, punching his chest with delight, but here he went hard to the line and dipped with a grimace.
Blake (9.75secs) and Gatlin (9.79secs) both set new personal bests while Gay's 9.80secs was good enough only for fourth.
REACTIONS FROM THE WORLD...
89.
Kannie Chiggs
14 MINUTES AGOBolt , the incredible Usain Bolt. That man is a Champion for sure. It was American vs Jaimaican ThunderBOLT. Brilliant start and brilliant finish, congrats Usain!!!-
Comment number88.
hizento
22 MINUTES AGOBolt was actually much faster in Beijing than he ran yesterday and even when he set the world record in Berlin in 2009. In Beijing Bolt was so far ahead that he deliberately slowed down at the final 5m in celebration dancing over the line while beating his chest. -
Comment number87.
dunster9
1 HOUR AGOblubbing again like the brits,,,,,,,, jokeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee BBC is so bad, try and ruin the best 2 weeks of there lives. -
Comment number86.
8-8-56
2 HOURS AGOKurt Replei @78...he is the fastest, he owns the Olympic record, but he is nowhere near the greatest. You have to look at Phelps (most medels), Nadia Comăneci (1st perfect 10) and Daley Thompson (IMO) to define what greatest is ie over how many diciplins or how many Olympic appearences (Ian Millar, 10 times) -
Comment number85.
Patto26
2 HOURS AGOINSANE BOLT! He makes me tingle.84.
coreynz
2 HOURS AGOThis comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.-
Comment number83.
Robbie
2 HOURS AGO@77
Lewis tested positive three times before the 1988 Olympics for pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, banned stimulants and bronchodilators also found in cold medication, and had been banned from the Seoul Olympics and from competition for six months. The USOC accepted his claim of inadvertent use and overturned the decision. -
Comment number82.
johnweaverassault
4 HOURS AGOThan man sure can run, john weaver assault -
Comment number81.
goonerfan73
4 HOURS AGOA fantastic final! Congrats Usain, you are the best. I too like others here feel sorry for Tyson- a decent, hard-working bloke and the poor injured Asafa who seemed to brilliantly recover from a stumble to keep up with the others before pulling up. The two fastest runners after Bolt deserve a medal but their time is up most likely. Blake's a great prospect. Blake and Bolt should comfort Powell now -
Comment number80.
dangdk
5 HOURS AGO@77 and @78, yes Carl lewis got a 100m gold in the Seoul olympics after Johnson was disqualified. Linford Christie also got a medal then. It has later come out that both Lewis and Christie have used banned substances yet somehow people never talk about that. Strange.... -
Comment number79.
dunster9
5 HOURS AGOhow many people in 5 hours commented on Wiggins winning The tour and gold... was in 2500, oh well.. just like I said..... fair shout though that race was amazing, Bolt is a legend. Quality. -
Comment number78.
Kurt Replei
5 HOURS AGO@77
damn right Lewis retained that title, the record books show it.
Is Bolt now heading towards being the greatest Olympian ever? -
Comment number77.
Spencers
5 HOURS AGOFantastic race... one dampner - studio (John Inverdale's) opinion Bolt is 1st in the modern era to retain golds... Carl Lewis retained his, because he was beaten by someone later banned. Michael Johnson's incredulity / silence was ... audible! Dont we belittle Lewis' achievement by valuing performance of someone later banned? C'mon John - it came out wrong, so wrong - put that right!! -
Comment number76.
Joe
5 HOURS AGOHe may even smash the world record in triple jumps and long jump. -
Comment number75.
Kurt Replei
6 HOURS AGOincredible win for Bolt, everyone loves him.
Shame about Gatlain, the real bronze was Gay's -
Comment number74.
janner_
6 HOURS AGOGreat race. Fantastic start from Bolt, hidden by Gatlins amazing head down start. Great PB and race from Blake, finished very well for a strong silver. Gay is too hard on himself, raced a good time but on paper the only one that has run a time close to Bolt. Sorry for Powell pulling up, still very fast. Great to see the 1980 100m Champion on the BBC, Scotsman Alan Wells with Gold and Silver. -
Comment number73.
dunster9
6 HOURS AGOTiger Woods is a legend, Phil Talyor is the man, but Ronnie O sullivan is a different standard, say I am wrong, try making a whole in one/ making a 9 dart finish, or winning a grand slam with your weak hand.. never not possible, the greatest performance WITNESSED WAS 5.20.. think I might be a little drunk, this games has been amazing.... -
Comment number72.
Abdi
6 HOURS AGO80% Bolt still would've won... I guess lightning does strike twice (see what I did there) -
Comment number71.
sportingfan123
6 HOURS AGOBolt is now surely the greatest sprinter to ever live. An absolute legend in his own right. Can anyone beat him in the 200? Or will he become the first man to win four golds in the 100m and 200m? Maybe his apprentice Blake could achieve this, but I doubt it now. What a truly magnificent run. -
Comment number70.
dunster9
5TH AUGUST 2012 - 23:58Bolt knows just like the only other Sportsman/ Kind of, on this planet if he performs at his best he is not beatable......................................who is it?????????????????//
