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.
Athletics was hit by another doping
sensation when the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a
last-minute ban on Russian long-jumper Darya Klishina imposed by the
IAAF world body.
Klishina had been the only Russian
competitor accepted by the IAAF for the Olympics after inquiries found
mass “state-sponsored” doping in the country.
Media reports said investigators found two bottles of Klishina’s urine samples had been tampered with.
The CAS decided, however, that Klishina
had met all the conditions set by the world body to take part in Rio.
The women’s long jump starts on Tuesday.
– British surge –
America’s Simone Biles stayed on track
for a record five gymnastics gold medals at a single Olympics when she
clocked up her third, on the women’s vault.
Max Whitlock won the men’s floor
exercise to become Britain’s first Olympic gymnastics champion. He won a
second in the pommel horse and was part of another golden day for the
British team.
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray won his
second straight men’s singles tennis gold, beating Argentina’s Juan
Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a marathon final which drained
both men.
“Today was a very up and down match,
very stressful. Both of us had a lot of chances and it was a long and
tiring match. I’m just glad I managed to get through it,” said Murray.
Britain’s Justin Rose became the first
Olympic golf champion in 112 years, edging Sweden’s Henrik Stenson on
the final hole in a thrilling duel.
“Oh my God. That felt better than anything I’ve ever won. It was the best tournament I’ve ever done,” Rose said.
A five-gold Sunday for the Brits put
them a surprise second on the medals table with 15 victories, behind the
United States on 26.
Rio Games security has proved a major
headache for organisers, with several teams complaining of thefts and
street crime in the recession-hit metropolis.
The latest to fall victim was US swimmer
Lochte and three teammates, who said they were robbed at gunpoint by
criminals who pulled over their taxi posing as police.
“The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked
it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands
up, I was like, ‘Whatever,'” Lochte told NBC News.
“He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment