Rio Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt wins 100 metres final to become first sprinter to take the title three times
USAIN BOLT. About the only thing that can bring Rio to a standstill, except the traffic.
Last night he kicked off his bid for the Olympic triple-triple when he clocked 9.81secs - his fastest time this year - to clinch his third 100m crown.
He held off the threat of Justin Gatlin who had to settle for silver again in 9.89secs and Canadian Andre de Grasse, who took bronze in 9.91secs
Only one man could have really stood between Bolt and history and that was Gatlin.
The two-time drug cheat who Bolt famously beat to the 100m, 200m and 4x100m world crowns last summer.
Once again Bolt had been cast as the saviour of the sport ahead of last night's showdown with American Gatlin the villain amidst a possible nightmare scenario of a doper standing on top of the podium in a year when the sport has been rocked by the Russian drugs scandal.
Seb Coe, the president of the IAAf, the sport's governing body, had already said a year ago that prospect made him feel "queasy."
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The contrast when they lined up on the track could not have been bigger.
'Bolt, Bolt' chanted the crowd - the biggest so far in the Olympic Stadium here - as the Jamaican got into the blocks while Gatlin was met with a barrage of boos.
So for Bolt a personal mission; for the sport a battle to salvage its doping-ravaged reputation.
Russian athletes kicked out of Rio because of evidence of Cold War style state-doping - but who have never tested positive themselves - had even pointed out the hypocrisy of Gatlin's mere presence here.
And fellow Team USA member - swimmer Lily King who won 100m breaststoke gold last week - had said he should have been banned for life.
Bolt, 30, had also suffered an injury scare last month when he had to pull out of the Jamaican trials wth a hamstring strain.
He was forced to see Dr Hans Muller-Wolfahrt who was working with the German football team in Marseille, in a bid to keep alive his Olympic dream of another three gold medals here.
Gatlin, 34, had posted a world leading 9.80secs at his national trials last month.
But year after year, championship after championship Bolt has delivered the goods when it mattered and last night was no exception.
Gatlin got out of the blocks faster but then Bolt stepped up into a second gear, pushing on to move past him across the finish line. A roar around the stadium and a sigh of relief from the sport.
Now the six times gold medallist will move on to the 200m - with the heats tomorrow ahead of Thursday's final and the 4x100m on Friday.