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Rio 2016: Usain Bolt wins 100 metres gold

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (second from left) wins the men’s 100m final ahead of great rival Justin Gatlin of the USA (far right) at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. (Photo: AFP)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (second from left) wins the men’s 100m final ahead of great rival Justin Gatlin of the USA (far right) at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. (Photo: AFP)

Usain Bolt stormed past his rivals to claim a historic third straight Olympic 100 metres title and declared himself confident of becoming an “immortal” by the end of the Rio Games.

Hot on the heels of a sensational 400m world record by South African Wayde van Niekerk, the Jamaican surged past American rival Justin Gatlin to take the most prized Olympic gold in 9.81sec.

With one title in the bag, Bolt celebrated and turned his attention to completing the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medal sweep at three consecutive Olympics.

“Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal,” said Bolt who has said this will be his last Olympics.

Bolt said he had been “shocked” at booing directed at Gatlin, who has twiced been banned for doping, but insisted he had focused on the victory that left him out alone in the 120-year history of Olympic sprinting.

Track massacre Although way short of his 9.58sec world record, Bolt was happy with the performance.

He started slowly but reeled in the fast-starting Gatlin within 70 metres and eased up, thumping his chest as he crossed the line. Canada’s Andre de Grasse took bronze.

“It was brilliant. I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won,” he said.

Minutes earlier, van Niekerk timed a lightning 43.03sec in the 400m, breaking American Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old record. “I have never seen anything like that,” Johnson told the BBC.

“It is amazing. That was a massacre by Van Niekerk. This young man has done something truly special.”

Kenya’s Jemima Sumgong won the first athletics gold of the day, making light of searing heat to triumph in the women’s marathon.

Colombia’s world champion Caterine Ibarguen won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 15.17m.

Polish star wins hammer throw Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk smashed her own world record on her way to victory in the women’s hammer throw on Monday — four years after being denied gold by Russian dope cheat Tatyana Lysenko.

Bahrain’s Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet produced an astonishing piece of front running to win gold in the Olympic women’s 3000m steeplechase on Monday.

Jebet timed an Asian record of 8min 59.75sec, missing out on the world record by less than a second. Reigning world champion Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi of Kenya took silver in 9:07.12, with American Emma Coburn claiming bronze (9:07.63).

Meanwhile, former Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown suffered a shock exit in the women’s 200m heats.

The 34-year-old Jamaican, two-time champion, finished third in her heat in 22.97.

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