9.81: Usain Bolt makes history with third 100m gold

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | 

Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history here Sunday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81sec, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze.

Gatlin, who had been booed by the Rio crowd as he was introduced, crossed in 9.89sec with De Grasse just behind in 9.91.

‘Lightning’ strikes thrice as Bolt completes 100m hat-trick

Bolt galloped away in celebration after a superb win, basking in the adulation of the stadium and even taking selfies with fans during his lap of honour.

He then delighted the fans with his traditional “lightning bolt” pose as reggae blasted out of the stadium sound system.

The victory left Bolt standing alone in the 120-year history of sprinting in the modern Olympic games.

No other athlete — man or woman — has ever won three consecutive individual Olympic sprint titles.

It also leaves Bolt on track to complete an incredible “triple-triple” of clinching 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles for a third consecutive Olympics.

Bolt, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, had already earned the right to be regarded as the greatest sprinter in the history of athletics after accumulating more golds on the track than anyone else.

But the Jamaican’s latest triumph erases any last lingering doubts that he deserves to be ranked alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali, Pele and Michael Jordan as the kind of once-in-a-generation athlete who transcend their sports.

Bolt’s win — his 18th gold in Olympic and World Championships since 2008 — averted what might have been a public relations disaster for the drug-tarnished world of track and field.

A corruption scandal involving the sport’s former rulers, who were accused of accepting bribes to cover up positive drug tests, and an investigation which alleged an elaborate state-sponsored doping system in Russia have plunged track and field into the worst crisis in its history.

 

LIGHTING STRIKES THREE TIMES! @usainbolt is the 1st athlete to win 100m in #athletics at 3 #Olympics! Time = 9.81 pic.twitter.com/dTxv9LE1Z9

— Olympics (@Olympics) August 15, 2016

 

A gold medal for Gatlin on Sunday would have made uncomfortable viewing for many — world athletics chief Sebastian Coe among them — who have advocated that serial doping offenders should be banned for life.

But those fears were swept away by the smiling, laughing figure of Bolt, for so long the sport’s most charismatic showman.

Gatlin, who has served two drug bans during his long career, made a powerful start to lead over the first 50 metres.

But as soon as Bolt’s head came around the midpoint the American was in trouble and the defending champion surged home around a metre clear of the field.

 

Michael Johnson’s world record of 43.18 stood for 17 years.

Until Wayde van Niekerk smashed it tonight with 43.03. pic.twitter.com/nzDsRDMSMA

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 15, 2016

 

Van Niekerk ‘massacres’ Johnson record to win 400m

South African Wayde Van Niekerk smashed Michael Johnson’s long-standing 400m record when he stormed to Olympic gold on Sunday.

Van Niekerk, running in the unfavoured lane eight, blasted off the final corner to time 43.03sec, 0.15sec quicker than Johnson’s previous world best set in Seville in 1999, a record that had taken on mythical-like standing.

Defending champion Kirani James of Grenada took silver in 43.76sec, with American Lashawn Merritt bronze (43.85).

“I’m happy to be part of a race that made history. We have put this sport on a pedestal,” said James.

Despite Van Niekerk being world champion, his underwhelming heat runs had meant all eyes were on James and Merritt.

The Grenadian set off fast in lane five, Merritt on his coat-tails on the inside with Van Niekerk running solo out wide.

The trio had produced one of the races of the year in the 400m final at the 2015 world championships in Beijing, all going under 44 seconds as the South African emerged victorious.

And it was the same again in Rio, Van Niekerk exploding off the last bend and holding his form through the line in an extraordinary run as all eight runners finished under 44.61sec.

“I have never seen anything like that,” Johnson told BBC, for whom he works as an analyst.

Men’s 400m world record progression since 1968:

43.86sec – Lee Evans (USA), October 1968, Mexico City

43.29 – Butch Reynolds (USA), August 1988, Zurich

43.18 – Michael Johnson (USA), August 1999, Seville

43.03 – Wayde van Niekerk (RSA), August 2016, Rio de Janeiro

 

Rio Olympics results in athletics on Sunday:

Men

100m

Final (wind +0.2m/s)

1. Usain Bolt (JAM) 9.81.

2. Justin Gatlin (USA) 9.89

3. Andre De Grasse (CAN) 9.91

4. Yohan Blake (JAM) 9.93

5. Akani Simbine (RSA) 9.94

6. Ben Youssef Meïte (CIV) 9.96

7. Jimmy Vicaut (FRA) 10.04

8. Trayvon Bromell (USA) 10.06

Semi-finals

Heat 1 (wind: +0.2 m/s)

1. Jimmy Vicaut (FRA) 9.95. Q

2. Ben Youssef Meïte (CIV) 9.97 Q

3. Akani Simbine (RSA) 9.98 q

4. Jack Ali Harvey (TUR) 10.03

5. Nickel Ashmeade (JAM) 10.05

6. Marvin Bracy (USA) 10.08

7. Xie Zhenye (CHN) 10.11

8. Hassan Taftian (IRI) 10.23

Heat 2 (wind: +0.2 m/s)

1. Usain Bolt (JAM) 9.86. Q

2. Andre De Grasse (CAN) 9.92 Q

3. Trayvon Bromell (USA) 10.01 q

4. Chijindu Ujah (GBR) 10.01

5. Ryota Yamagata (JPN) 10.05

6. Kim Collins (SKN) 10.12

7. Cejhae Greene (ANT) 10.13

8. Andrew Fisher (BRN)

Heat 3 (wind: 0.0 m/s)

1. Justin Gatlin (USA) 9.94. Q

2. Yohan Blake (JAM) 10.01 Q

3. Christophe Lemaitre (FRA) 10.07

4. Su Bingtian (CHN) 10.08

5. Kemarley Brown (BRN) 10.13

6. James Dasaolu (GBR) 10.16

7. Aska Cambridge (JPN) 10.17

8. Daniel Bailey (ANT)

(NDLR : the 2 best and the 2 best times qualified for next round)

 

400m final

1. Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) 43.03 (WR)

2. Kirani James (GRN) 43.76

3. Lashawn Merritt (USA) 43.85

4. Machel Cedenio (TRI) 44.01

5. Karabo Sibanda (BOT) 44.25

6. Ali Khamis Khamis (BRN) 44.36

7. Bralon Taplin (GRN) 44.45

8. Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) 44.61

 

Women

400m semi-finals

Heat 1

1. Phyllis Francis (USA) 50.31 Q

2. Stephanie Ann Mcpherson (JAM) 50.69 Q

3. Olha Zemlyak (UKR) 50.75 q

4. Oluwakemi Adekoya (BRN) 50.88

5. Christine Ohurougu (GBR) 51.22

6. Ruth Sophia Spelmeyer (GER) 51.61

7. Margaret Bamgbose (NGR) 51.92

8. Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz (POL) 52.51

Heat 2

1. Shericka Jackson (JAM) 49.83 Q

2. Natasha Hastings (USA) 49.90 Q

3. Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) 50.88

4. Floria Guei (FRA) 51.08

5. Carline Muir (CAN) 51.11

6. Emily Diamond (GBR) 51.49

7. Malgorzata Holub (POL) 51.93

8. Morgan Mitchell (AUS) 52.68

Heat 3

1. Allyson Felix (USA) 49.67 Q

2. Shaunae Miller (BAH) 49.91 Q

3. Libania Grenot (ITA) 50.60 q

4. Christine Day (JAM) 51.53

5. Justyna Swiety (POL) 51.62

6. Anneliese Rubie (AUS) 51.96

7. Kabange Mupopo (ZAM) 52.04

8. Patience Okon George (NGR) 52.52

(NDLR : the 2 best and the 2 best times qualified for next round)

 

1500m semi-finals

Heat 1

1. Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (KEN) 4:03.95 Q

2. Dawit Seyaum (ETH) 4:04.23 Q

3. Shannon Rowbury (USA) 4:04.46 Q

4. Besu Sado (ETH) 4:05.19 Q

5. Laura Weightman (GBR) 4:05.28 Q

6. Sofia Ennaoui (POL) 4:05.29 q

7. Rabab Arafi (MOR) 4:05.60 q

8. Linden Hall (AUS) 4:05.81

9. Zoe Buckman (AUS) 4:06.95

10. Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER) 4:07.26

11. Ciara Mageean (IRL) 4:08.07

12. Brenda Martinez (USA) 4:10.41

Heat 2

1. Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 4:03.06 Q

2. Sifan Hassan (NED) 4:03.62 Q

3. Laura Muir (GBR) 4:04.16 Q

4. Jennifer Barringer (USA) 4:05.07 Q

5. Bahta Meraf (SWE) 4:06.41 Q

6. Viola Cheptoo Lagat (KEN) 4:06.83

7. Nicole Edwards (CAN) 4:08.53

8. Malika El Akkaoui (MOR) 4:08.55

9. Diana Sujew (GER) 4:10.15

10. Danuta Urbanik (POL) 4:11.34

11. Jennifer Blundell (AUS) 4:13.25

12. Angelika Cichocka (POL) 4:17.83

(NDLR : the 5 best and the 2 best times qualified for next round)

 

Triple jump final

1. Katerine Ibarguen (COL) 15.17m

2. Yulimar Rojas (VEN) 14.98

3. Olga Alekseyeva (KAZ) 14.74

4. Keturah Orji (USA) 14.71

5. Hanna Knyazyeva (ISR) 14.68

6. Patricia Mamona (POR) 14.65

7. Kimberly Williams (JAM) 14.53

8. Paraskevi Papachristou (GRE) 14.26

9. Susana Costa (POR) 14.12

10. Anna Jagaciak- Michalska (POL) 14.07

11. Kristin Gierisch (GER) 13.96

12. Meri Kristiina Makela (FIN) 13.95

 

Marathon

1. Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (KEN) 2hr 24min 04sec,

2. Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa (BRN) 2:24:13

3. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:24:30

4. Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:24:47

5. Volha Mazuronak (BLR) 2:24:48

6. Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:25:26

7. Desiree Linden (USA) 2:26:08

8. Rose Chelimo (BRN) 2:27:36

9. Amy Cragg (USA) 2:28:25

10. Kim Hye Song (PRK) 2:28:36

11. Kim Hye Gyong (PRK) 2:28:36

12. Jelena Celnova-Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:29:32

13. Valeria Straneo (ITA) 2:29:44

14. Kayoko Fukushi (JPN) 2:29:53

15. Gladys Tejeda (PER) 2:29:55

16. Ana Dulce Félix (POR) 2:30:39

17. Diana Lobacevske (LTU) 2:30:48

18. Milly Clark (AUS) 2:30:53

19. Tomomi Tanaka (JPN) 2:31:12

20. Fionnuala Mccormack (IRL) 2:31:22

21. Iwona Lewandowska (POL) 2:31:41

22. Jessica Trengove (AUS) 2:31:44

23. Monika Stefanowicz (POL) 2:32:49

24. Lanni Marchant (CAN) 2:33:08

25. Catherine Bertone (ITA) 2:33:29

26. Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova (CZE) 2:33:51

27. Lilia Fisikovici (MDA) 2:34:05

28. Alyson Dixon (GBR) 2:34:11

29. Maja Neuenschwander (SUI) 2:34:27

30. Sonia Thomas (GBR) 2:34:36

31. Lisa Jane Weightman (AUS) 2:34:41

32. Madai Pérez (MEX) 2:34:42

33. Olha Kotovska (UKR) 2:34:57

34. María Azucena Díaz (ESP) 2:35:02

35. Krista Duchene (CAN) 2:35:29

36. Jovana de la Cruz (PER) 2:35:49

37. Rasa Drazdauskaité (LTU) 2:35:50

38. Vaida Žusinaite (LTU) 2:35:53

39. Kit-Ching Yiu (HKG) 2:36:11

40. Jessica Petersson (DEN) 2:36:14

41. Beata Nandjala Naigambo (NAM) 2:36:32

42. An Seulki (KOR) 2:36:50

43. Angie Orjuela (COL) 2:37:05

44. Anja Scherl (GER) 2:37:23

45. Maryna Damantsevich (BLR) 2:37:34

46. Mai Ito (JPN) 2:37:37

47. Veerle Dejaeghere (BEL) 2:37:39

48. Margarita Hernández (MEX) 2:38:15

49. Kim Kum-Ok (PRK) 2:38:24

50. Kenza Tifahi Dahmani (ALG) 2:38:37

68. Adero Nyakisi (UGA) 2:42:58