Usain Bolt broke his own 100m world record to win Olympic gold in the blue riband event yesterday.
After posting the second-fastest time in Games history in his semi-final, the Jamaican timed an astonishing 9.69 seconds with seemingly effortless ease, ahead of Trinidad’s Richard Thompson and the US’ Walter Dix.
His time would surely have been even faster had he not eased up in the final 10m, opening up his arms and patting his heart as he crossed the line.
PHOTO: AFP
In one of the most eagerly anticipated races in sprint history, a record six of the eight finalists dipped below the 10sec barrier in the 91,000-capacity National Stadium, with Bolt’s compatriot Asafa Powell only managing fifth.
Reigning double world champion Tyson Gay of the US was not in the running after failing to qualify from the semi-finals.
In the women’s heptathlon, Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine won gold, recording a total of 6733 points after the grueling two-day, seven-discipline event.
Dobrynska’s compatriot Lyudmila Blonska took silver, 33pts adrift, with overnight leader Hyleas Fountain of the US claiming bronze at 6,619 points.
Pre-event favorite Kelly Sotherton of Britain finished fifth on 6,517 points, with Russian Tatiana Chernova in fourth.
Dobrynska’s victory was based on two top performances in the shot put, in which she recorded a best of 17.29m, and the long jump, in which she jumped a lead of 6.63m.
A poor 24.39 seconds in the 200m was masked by a solid 13.44 seconds in the 100m hurdles, a 10th-best 1.80m in the high jump and an impressive 48.50m in the javelin throw.
She finished last in her 800m heat but recorded a time just fast enough to edge Blonska.
Fountain’s superiority in the track events was shown up by her lack of power in the field events, the American managing only 13.36m in the shot and 41.93m in the javelin.
In the field, reigning world champion Valerie Vili of New Zealand beat Belarussians Natalia Mikhnevich and Nadzeya Ostapchuk to the women’s shot put gold medal.
In the day’s early medalling event, walker Valeriy Borchin held off former champion Jefferson Perez of Ecuador to hand Russia its first athletics gold of the Beijing Olympics.
Borchin won the men’s 20km race walk in one hour, 19 minutes and 1 second for Russia’s first-ever Olympic walking success.
The 22-year-old, who served a one-year drugs ban in the 2005-2006 season, beat home 1996 Olympic champion Perez by 14 seconds, with Australian Jared Tallent a further 27 seconds adrift in the bronze medal position.
The semi-finals of the women’s 800m saw fancied Kenyan duo Janeth Jepkosgei and Pamela Jelimo cruise through to tomorrow’s final.
Mozambique veteran Maria Mutola also produced a last-gasp home-stretch sprint to qualify for her fifth Olympic final.
In a good night all round for Jamaican sprinters, the trio of Kerron Sterwart, Sherone Simpson and Shelly-Ann Fraser topped the timings of the second round of the women’s 100m.
Team-mates Markino Buckley and Danny MacFarlane also qualified for the men’s 400m hurdles alongside fancied American threesome of Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson and Kerron Clement.
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