It’s no surprise that Usain Bolt held his all-age school record for 100 meters when he was just 12 years old. Ever since, his rise to running fame has never slowed down. The 100m final in the London Games was no different. Justin Gatlin of the US attacked early on, but at the halfway mark, Usain bolted to the front to win by a large margin. In a race that included three Americans and three Jamaicans, the Jamaicans dominated the podium.
Bolt was joined by teammate Yohan Blake, who finished second. The two paraded around the track afterward, encouraging the Brits to rejoice with them. Bolt is not shy when it comes to the victory lap, but after defending his title as “fastest man in the world,” he earned it.
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The Americans finished in tandem with third, fourth and fifth place times. Gatlin squeaked ahead of American record-holder Tyson Gay at the finish line. Gatlin’s strong start kept him ahead of Gay by just one one-hundredth of a second, which was the difference between a bronze medal and going home empty-handed.
An unprecedented seven men broke the 10-second barrier during the race, which speaks to the worldwide talent within this Olympics stage. But it was Bolt’s 9.63 finish that prevailed — a long way from the young kid who unexpectedly came to own his preparatory school record.
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Michelle Bonja
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
