9.63 seconds... Legend Bolt retains 100m crown

9.63 seconds... Legend Bolt retains 100m crown after stunning victory over rival Blake sees him shatter his OWN Olympic record

By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 21:53, 5 August 2012 | UPDATED: 23:20, 5 August 2012

Fittingly, it was the day that celebrated 50 years of Jamaican independence. Here was just 9.63 seconds of it. At the end of the shortest Olympic race in history, two men were independent from the rest of the field. There was daylight between Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, but clear air again between Blake and the chasing pack.

The Jamaicans — friends, training partners at the Racers Club in Kingston — were out on their own. But when it came down to it, one Jamaican was simply more independent than the other.

Bolt did it again. He became the first athlete this century to retain his 100metres title, the first since Carl Lewis in 1988. Nobody stays the fastest man in the world for long and there were many who thought Bolt had shot it. They were wrong, so very wrong.

Simply the best: Usain Bolt crosses the finishing line to win gold in the men's 100 metres final

Dip for the line: Bolt finishes ahead of Yohan Blake (second right) and Justin Gatlin (third right) to win the Olympic gold medal

The Olympic 100m champions

2012 London - Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.63
2008 Beijing - Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.69
2004 Athens - Justin Gatlin (USA) 9.85
2000 Sydney - Maurice Greene (USA) 9.87
1996 Atlanta - Donovan Bailey (CAN) 9.84
1992 Barcelona - Linford Christie (GBR) 9.96
1988 Seoul - Carl Lewis (USA) * Ben Johnson (CAN) won in 9.79 but was later disqualified.
1984 Los Angeles - Carl Lewis (USA) 9.99
1980 Moscow - Alan Wells (GBR) 10.25
1976 Montreal - Hasely Crawford (TRI) 10.06
1972 Munich - Valeriy Borzov (SOV) 10.14
1968 Mexico City - Jim Hines (USA) 9.95
1964 Tokyo - Bob Hayes (USA) 10.0
1960 Rome - Armin Hary (GER) 10.2
1956 Melbourne - Bobby Morrow (USA) 10.62
1952 Helsinki - Lindy Remigino (USA) 10.79
1948 London - Harrison Dillard (USA) 10.3
1936 Berlin - Jesse Owens (USA) 10.3

Having given the field — even the brilliant Blake — a head start, he then accelerated. It was as if Batman had flicked that switch on the Batmobile, one almost expected to see an ignition of white-hot flame at his tail. He draped the Jamaican flag around his shoulders liked a Caped Crusader, too, mimed firing his arrow like an Olympian of old. He is old, Bolt, yet so very new.

His talent is one of the purest skills of all: the ability to run faster than any other man. But his manner is modern. He knows his place in sport’s galaxy, his status, and what it means. At the pinnacle of sport stands the heavyweight boxing champion and the world’s fastest man; except Bolt has more personality in his discarded woolly hat then the Klitschko brothers have in a lifetime of punishing victories. If Bolt were a boxer, even Muhammad Ali’s greatest status may have been under threat. He is charismatic, mesmerising. Once he entered the track nobody could take their eyes from him; and then when he started running, blink, and he was gone.

Bolt needed to be at his best for this, have no doubt. From third-placed Justin Gatlin from Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago in seventh, every runner was the fastest for his position in the Olympic final. If Bolt had been 95 per cent fit as he claimed, he would not have been able to live with them, let alone the noble Blake. There was no show-boating on the line this time. Blake would have gobbled him up. In the circumstances, with all his fitness worries and that false start at the World Championships, it was an astonishing run. And for such an important anniversary, absolutely perfect.

The pockets of cheers that greeted the medal ceremony for Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce earlier in the evening gave away the identity of some in the stadium and who they were here for.

Lightning Bolt: The Jamaican set a new Olympic record after winning the 100m in a time of 9.63 seconds

Making his point: Bolt celebrates after crossing the finishing line in first in the 100m final at the London Olympic Games

History boy: Bolt bathes in the glory of his brilliant victory in London's Olympic Stadium

The finalists: (from left) Churandy Martina, Ryan Bailey, Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Yohan Blake, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Richard Thompson

Close call: Bolt did not run away with the race as he had done four years ago in Beijing, with Blake, Gatlin and Gay all running super quick times

Twitter reaction to Bolt's victory

Joey Barton: 'Bolt = Ridiculous' 

Rio Ferdinand: 'What a character Bolt is, guys throwing shapes pre race... can't imagine a football player doing that before the biggest game of their life!' 

Ferdinand again: 'Wow, Usain Bolt... out of this world type athlete! The 100metres final is the best sport to watch in the Olympics...'

Piers Morgan: 'UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY: '"I brought it..." @usainbolt

Meanwhile, over at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, Jamaica Day celebrations had segued jubilantly into the main event of the night. On the big screen, The Dark Knight Rises gave way to athletics very own super hero: Bolt on every screen, a free showing of the BBC Olympics coverage playing out for an audience comprising the nearest thing a Jamaican athlete could get to a partisan crowd, so far from his island.

Not that he could have heard them as he sped into history. Not that any athlete could hear much above the cacophony of the Olympic Stadium. After Britain’s Super Saturday, this was tagged Supersonic Sunday, as if any further showbiz hype was required. The fastest men in the world know they are the players of the Olympic meeting without further encouragement. They preen, they strut, they perform for the cameras, and that is just in the heats.

Shortly before eight, the stadium got first sight of the man of the moment. Bolt took off his black and gold headwear and walked  casually to the start line for his semi-final, a wink here, a cocky grin there, utterly assured after all the uncertainty. When his name was announced, he opened his eyes wide, made a running gesture with his fingers, put them to his forehead and then away in a salute. The crowd loved it. Then again, they loved Boris Johnson, too, when his face came up on the big screen. Pay 750 quid for tickets and you probably need to love everything to get your money’s worth.

Trademark: Bolt strikes his usual pose for the cameras after winning the 100m final in London

Mummy's boy: The sprinter's mother Jennifer (centre) and silver medallist Blake (centre left) join the celebrations

Kneesy does it: Bolt kneels on the running track after sealing his place in history once again

But it is easy to root for Bolt, the way it was Ali, the way it is any man who combines supreme athleticism with charm and personality. Bolt has such charisma. He shadow boxed a little for the camera, a further nod to his great friend from back home Lennox Lewis. He was on his toes like a boxer too.

Even operating at less than his best he remained the man to beat. So it proved. When the pistol sounded all doubts about his fitness soon evaporated. Slow out of the blocks, as a man of 6ft 5in is from a crouch, it was instantly the Bolt of old, motoring as if slung from a catapult, tearing up the super-fast surface as if it would curl up beneath his feet as he went. He sped past the field to finish a comfortable first, slowing down at the end. He pointed a finger to the sky. No 1, still.

Get set... go: The sprinter's fly out of their starting blocks - but Bolt did not make a quick getaway

Catch me if you can. It was a  portent. He walked through the media interview area tight-lipped, but the high-fives for loitering journalists spoke as  eloquently as any statement of intent.Yohan Blake was up next. He appeared on the screen head down, almost intimidated, then looked up suddenly to make his trademark beast gesture. It was at this moment that his youth showed through. His body, muscular, ripped, is that of an older man. His complexion reveals his years, at 21 the youngest 100m world champion there has been. That was always going to be his greatest obstacle here. It was tough to expect a man of his experience to handle the pressure of deposing the king of the sprint.

Blake powered through his heat, in first place, purposefully. Justin Gatlin was faster into the final than the pair of them, however. At 9.82sec he ran the fastest time recorded in an Olympic semi-final heat. Just what the world needed. A former drug cheat champion.

Toy story: Bolt helps London 2012 mascot 'Wenlock' strike his famous pose

Fire in the belly: The Olympic Flame burns brightly as 100m champion Bolt runs on his lap of honour

Unforgettable moments: Bolt celebrates glory in London's iconic Olympic Stadium

The Americans had been predicting Bolt’s demise all summer, and seven of the eight finalists had qualified in under 10 seconds. Between them, four of the field had run the fastest 20 100m sprints of all time. At that point, the stage was set for one of the greatest sprint climaxes of all time.

It was no more than Jamaica, London, Stratford and Brixton deserved. Carl Lewis was the last man to retain the 200m, too, also in 1988. Bolt is on course for a remarkable double later this week: always providing he can be kept clear of that party at the Ritzy.

Cruise control: Usain Bolt (right) wins his 100m semi-final ahead of Britain's Dwain Chambers (left)

Plenty left in the tank: Bolt crosses the finishing line in a time of 9.87 secs in the second 100m semi-final

Not quite enough: British sprinter Dwain Chambers looks in vain at the scoreboard after his race

Rising star: Gemili (centre) proved he has a bright future after just missing out on the final

Fastest of all: American Justin Gatlin (right) qualified fastest for the final in 9.82secs

Ever the showman: Jamaican superstar Bolt plays up for the crowd in London ahead of his race

USAIN BOLT FACTFILE

1986: Born August 21 in Trelawny, Jamaica.

2002: At the age of 15 Bolt wins gold in the 200m and silver in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston.

2003: Wins gold in the 200m at World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke.

2004: Becomes first junior to break the 20-second mark in the 200m, clocking 19.93 seconds.

2005: Claims gold medal in the 200m at the Central American and Caribbean Championships with a time of 20.03secs.

2007: Wins 200m silver at World Championships in Osaka, and also wins silver as a member of the 4x100m relay.

We've been here before: Bolt stuns the world by winning gold in Beijing in 2008

2008: May 3 - Posts the second-fastest 100m time in history at the Jamaica Invitational, clocking 9.76secs.
May 31 - Breaks the world record in the 100m at the Reebok Grand Prix, posting a time of 9.72secs in only his fifth race over the distance.
July 13 - Beats his personal best in the 200m, finishing in 19.67 seconds in Athens to register the fastest time over the distance in 2008 and the fifth-fastest 200m time ever.
August 16 - Wins 100m gold at the Beijing Olympics, lowering his previous world record to 9.69secs.
August 20 - Completes Olympic sprint double, winning the 200m in a new world record time of 19.30secs.
August 22 - Runs third leg as Jamaica score Olympic 4x100m relay victory in world record time of 37.10secs.
November 23 - Voted IAAF World Male Athlete of the Year.

2009: April 29 - Escapes serious injury when his BMW M3 car skids off road outside of Kingston and overturns. Requires minor foot surgery.
May 17 - Wins Manchester Great City Games 150m in world best time of 14.35secs. Covered first 100m in 9.91sec and last 100m with flying start in 8.70secs.
June 10 - Wins 2009 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.
August 16 - Wins gold medal in 100m at World Championships in Berlin, with new world record time of 9.58 seconds.
August 20 - Claims second gold medal at World Championships in Berlin, with new world record time of 19.19 seconds over 200 metres.

2010: August 6 - Suffers only the second loss of his career in a 100m final, losing to Tyson Gay in Stockholm

2011: August 28 - Disqualified for a false start in the 100m final at the World Championships in Daegu. Training partner Yohan Blake goes on to take gold.
September 3 - Retains his world 200m title and later goes on to help Jamaica win the 4x100m relay in a new world record time of 37.04

2012: June - Loses to Blake over both 100 and 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials, but seals his place on the team for London.
July 26 - Admits he had been suffering from a stiff back which was causing a hamstring problem, but insists he is ready to defend his titles.
August 5 - Retains Olympic 100m title in 9.63s, the second quickest time in history.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2184122/Usain-Bolt-wins-100m-final-London-2012-Olympics.html#ixzz22iH2eUhm