The world’s fastest man, however, fell shy of his world record of 9.58 seconds but improved on the 9.69 he ran four years ago in Beijing to enter his name, once again, in the Olympic record book.
The 6-foot-5 Bolt passed the US’ Justin Gatlin at 50 meters and kept going to ensure victory over his teammate and training partner, Yohan Blake by .12.
The win means Bolt has now become the first man since Carl Lewis to win two straight Olympic 100-meter titles.
After taking half a victory lap around the track, he stopped, kissed the track and gave his now-famous “To The World” pose, pointing both fingers in the air while as fans screamed.
Bolt said he knew from his run in the heat he was in the right kind of form to win the title.
‘I was happy,’ he told BBC1. ‘When I went out in the first round I felt I could do this. I was slightly worried about my start, I didn’t want to false start again. I think I sat in the blocks a little bit so I don’t think it’s the best reaction in the world, but I executed and that was the key.
‘My coach said, “stop worrying about the start, the best part of your race is at the end, that’s where you rule”. So I stopped worrying about the start and I executed.’
Blake, who had beaten Bolt in the trials in Jamaica, had to settle for second place this time around, winning the silver medal in 9.75 seconds, matching his personal best.
Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion whose career was derailed by steroid use, made a comeback by winning the bronze in 9.79 seconds.
