Final results of the Beijing Olympic Men's 100m: 1. Usain Bolt -- Jamaica 9.69 WR 2. Richard Thompson -- Trinidad &Tobago 9.89 PB 3. Walter Dix -- United States 9.91 PB 4. Churandy Martina -- Netherlands Antilles 9.93 NR 5. Asafa Powell -- Jamaica 9.95 6. Michael Frater -- Jamaica 9.97 PB 7. Marc Burns -- Trinidad &Tobago 10.01 8. Darvis Patton -- United States 10.03
ago.16.2008
Jamaica's Usain Bolt delivered on the big night in Beijing, China producing a fantastic world record effort in the Beijing Olympic Games men's 100 M final.
The 21-year-old broke his old mark of 9.72sec set in New York on May 31 this year in front of a capacity crowd inside the Bird's Nest.
Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson set a new personal-best of 9.89secs to land silver, as did America's Walter Dix who registerd 9.91sec for the bronze.
Bolt powered away from the rest of the field in the final 30 seconds and even found time to begin his celebrations before crossing the line.
His fellow countryman Asafa Powell, one of the pre-race favourites could only manage fifth in 9.95sec as six men went under 10 seconds.
Bolt had sent a marker down to his rivals in the first semi-final by posting the second fastest time in Olympic history.
The Jamaican eased up after 65 metres to win with effortless ease in 9.85sec, a time beaten only in Olympic standards by Canadian Donovan Bailey's gold medal-winning run at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Bolt was the odds-on favourite to win the blue riband event after jogging to victory in his second round heat yesterday.
The 6ft 5in sprinter barely broke sweat as he crossed the line in 9.92sec and even took the time to glance from
Former record holder Powell, meanwhile, had advanced to the final by winning the second semi-final in 9.91secs, but was no where to be seen as Bolt powered to victory in the showpiece.
American world champion Tyson Gay, meanwhile, had earlier failed to progress to the final, finishing fifth in 10.05secs.
Gay won the 100m and 200m in Osaka last year but his preparation for Beijing was ruined by a hamstring injury suffered in the 200m at the US trials at the start of July.