Jamaica’s Usain Bolt proved once again that he is the fastest human being on the planet.
On the brightest stage of them all the London 2012 Olympic Games, in a 100-metre field that featured the four fastest men in history, Bolt raced to victory in a time of 9.63 seconds breaking his own Olympic record to successfully defend his gold medal.
Bolt is the first repeat Olympic champion in the 100m since American Carl Lewis who won the race in Los Angeles in 1984 and then again in Seoul in 1988.
Bolt’s training partner and close friend Yohan Blake finished in second, matching his personal best with a time of 9.75s. American athlete Justin Gatlin suffered his first loss of 2012 and had to settle for bronze in a time of 9.79s. Another American, Tyson Gay, fell just short of a medal, finishing fourth with a time of 9.80s.
The race marked the first time in history that seven men finished under 10 seconds in a 100m race. Ironically, it was only Jamaican Asafa Powell – the man with the most sub-10s runs in the history of the sport – who failed to break the barrier, finishing in last in a time of 11.99s. Powell pulled up with 40m to go in the race having pulled a hamstring.
The race featured three American and Three Jamaicans who ran the middle lanes with Martina Churandy and Richard Thompson of the Netherlands and Trinidad and Tobago on either side of them.
