RIO DE JANEIRO — Even a lumbering start couldn’t slow down the world’s fastest man.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Even a lumbering start couldn’t slow down the world’s fastest man.
Usain Bolt became the first person to win three straight Olympic 100-meter titles, blowing down the straightaway in 9.81 seconds at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The Jamaican great defeated American rival Justin Gatlin by .08 seconds for his seventh Olympic gold medal. Andre de Grasse of Canada won the bronze.
Bolt started pulling away from Gatlin with about 30 meters left. His electrifying kick capped an exciting Day 9 of the Rio Games that included Justin Rose winning the first Olympic golfing gold medal in 112 years with a two-stroke win over British Open champion Henrik Stenson.
American teen sensation Simone Biles added a third gold in gymnastics, capturing the women’s vault title, and the U.S. men’s basketball team had yet another scare, this one from France, before advancing to the quarterfinals as the top, albeit shaky, seed.
Bolt added the Rio gold medal to the ones he won in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. After kicking off his gold spikes, he flashed a smile and his signature pose, the Jamaican flag draping from his shoulders.
Klay Thompson ended an Olympic-long slump with 30 points, and the U.S. needed almost all of them to hold off France 100-97 in basketball. It was the third straight close call for the favorites, who are looking as beatable as ever under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain beat Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina for his second consecutive Olympic singles tennis gold medal. His 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory halted the resurgent run of the 141st-ranked del Potro, who knocked off No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round and No. 3 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.