LONDON, England ● After streaking to a second Olympic 100 metres gold on Sunday and treating everyone to an evening of showmanship and celebration along the way, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt said he was one step closer to the legendary status many already afford him.
“Some of you guys doubted me. I just had to show the world I was the greatest,” Bolt told reporters. “It means I’m one step closer to being a legend. I have the 200 (metres) to go.”
Sunday’s final inside a packed and roaring stadium was meant to be a close call with the year’s five fastest men lining up on the track but Bolt made sure there would be no disputing who was the greatest sprinter.
“For everybody who was in this race tonight, the four other fastest guys in the world, it was a real honour for me.”
With an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds Bolt finished ahead of compatriot and world champion Yohan Blake, and America’s Justin Gatlin in third.
The world’s fourth and fifth fastest this year, America’s Tyson Gay and Jamaican Asafa Powell, finished fourth and last respectively with the latter pulling up injured early on.
Despite Bolt being the 100m and 200m world record holder some had questioned whether he would be able to hold off his training partner Blake – the man who beat him in the Jamaican trials earlier this year.
“The trials woke me up. Yohan gave me a wake-up call. He knocked on my door and said ‘Usain this is the Olympic year. wake up’, after that I refocused and got my head together.”
It did not all go Bolt’s way, though.
One thing the lanky Jamaican thinks he lost out on was the best showbiz style address to camera at the start of the race.
“I think Yohan Blake did a better one than me, I was like, I’m not going to top this one and so I just kind of played it out,” referring to Yohan “The Beast” Blake’s monster-like pose.
Bolt certainly made up ground after victory was secured.
The 25-year-old, who won 100m and 200m gold in Beijing four years ago, danced, posed and hugged the crowd, milking applause from every crevice of the 80,000-seater stadium.
Fans may well be treated to similar scenes soon enough. The 200 metres begins on Tuesday.