Bolt wins third 100m gold medal in Beijing

Usain Bolt won the ninth world championship gold medal of his extraordinary career on Sunday night at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing.

Usain Bolt on 23 August 2015 in Beijing Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports/Reuters

He retained his 100 metres title with a combination of luck and determination as the finishing line approached.

With five metres remaining Justin Gatlin lost his balance and Bolt – who has rarely been pushed to the outer reaches of the distance – powered through to register 9.79 seconds. It was his fastest time of the year.

Gatlin claimed the silver with 9.80 and there was a tie for bronze between the 20-year-old rising stars Trayvon Bromwell of the United States and Canada's Andre De Grasse.
Those last five metres will haunt Gatlin. The 33-year-old American, who was the quickest man going into the final, said he leaned forward too much and lost his balance.

"I don’t know why I do it but I always keep looking across," added Bolt. "I pretty much caught up with Justin after about 80 metres. I could see him and all I kept telling myself was to just run through the line because my coach told me that I would have to run 100 metres if I wanted to win the race. I could see Justin stumbling but that could have helped him - momentum wise - so I just had to keep my focus and dip at the right time. And I did."

Those were golden words to Bolt from coach Glenn Mills. And they effectively turned the form book on its head. Bolt’s preparations for the 2015 world championships had been punctuated by injuries. He was forced to withdraw from the Diamond League meetings in Paris and Lausanne in July due to injury.

By contrast Gatlin was a well-oiled machine. He oozed medal winning menace in the heats and semi-finals. His unbeaten streak stretched back two years. He also had the season’s best time of 9.74.

But the Bird’s Nest is where Bolt started his flight with three Olympic gold medals in 2008. The London 2012 Olympics were the games where he anointed himself a living legend. But the Chinese capital is the source of the river of golds.

"The Bird’s Nest stadium is wonderful. I knew it was going to be great," said Bolt. "When I came out for the heats, it brought back a lot of memories and I was really happy about that and I was truly taken aback. The energy that the crowd brought was beautiful and I thank them for the support and love they give me when I come here."

The 200 metres will provide Gatlin with a chance for revenge. The American, who has served two bans for doping, refused to entertain questions over the suspensions and the portrayal of the 100 metres final as a race between ‘clean’ athletes such as Bolt and ‘dirty’ ones such as himself, his American compatriot Tyson Gay and the Jamaican former world record holder Asafa Powell.

Gatlin embraced Bolt on the track after the race and was munificent in defeat. "At the end of the day, if I have to lose to anybody, it might as well be to Usain Bolt. I’ve had a good stretch. I’ve showed a lot of competitiveness. I went out there and gave it all that I could give at this time."

Bolt’s next target will be to defend the 200 metres crown he harvested in Moscow two years ago. It’s the event he calls his baby. The one he loves dearly.

"You can ask any top athlete. If you start doubting yourself, you’ve already lost the race,"said Bolt after his latest victory. "I never doubt myself. I know my ability."