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Video - Bolt destroyed his rivals in Beijing on Saturday By James Standley
Usain Bolt glided to a new world record as he produced a stunning run in the Olympic 100m final.
Bolt was well clear at 60m and although he eased down and started to celebrate 15 metres from the line he still set a new mark of 9.69 seconds.
Richard Thompson finished second while American Walter Dix came third but they were yards behind the Jamaican.
"I wasn't worried about the world record. I didn't know it until I'd done my victory lap," Bolt told BBC Sport.
"When I ran the earlier round I felt the world record [was possible], because it's a new track, it's fast. But I came out here just to win. I'm so happy for myself and my country.
"Me and my coach, we decided that I can take both the 100m and 200m. So I came here prepared to do that."
606: DEBATE I'm still shaking my head in disbelief - amazing
GB
Bolt's Jamaican team-mate Asafa Powell had been tipped as a possible rival but finished in fifth place as Bolt produced a superlative performance.
Powell told BBC Sport: "I messed up big time, my legs died on me. Usain ran an awesome race, I'm very happy for him.
"I'm not sure what happened, I just have to be happy for Usain. It's a sad time for me, I really wanted to get that gold medal. But its quite obvious I wasn't ready for the big stage yet."
Second-placed Thompson posted a time of 9.89 seconds while Dix was two-hundredths of a second back in third as six men broke the 10-second barrier, but the race was all about Bolt.
Earlier this year he had set a new world record of 9.72 seconds to take the record away from Powell, and the 21-year-old had looked in imperious form on his way to the final, which world champion Tyson Gay failed to qualify for. Usain Bolt Usain Bolt wins Olympic gold by a clear margin even though he eased off
Powell had also looked in fine form but from the gun it was clear there was only going to be one winner.
The 6ft 5in Bolt was away as quickly as anyone and when he hit the front with 50m to go it was all over bar the shouting.
The only question was just how fast a time he was going to set.
And despite easing down well short of the line he took three-hundredths of a second off his previous record in a display American legend Michael Johnson described as "the greatest 100m performance in the history of the event".
Bolt will now try to become the first man to complete the 100m-200m double since Carl Lewis at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
The 200m heats start on Monday, with the final taking place on Wednesday.
Bolt surges to gold in new record
Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory.
Video - Bolt destroyed his rivals in Beijing on Saturday
By James Standley
Usain Bolt glided to a new world record as he produced a stunning run in the Olympic 100m final.
Bolt was well clear at 60m and although he eased down and started to celebrate 15 metres from the line he still set a new mark of 9.69 seconds.
Richard Thompson finished second while American Walter Dix came third but they were yards behind the Jamaican.
"I wasn't worried about the world record. I didn't know it until I'd done my victory lap," Bolt told BBC Sport.
"When I ran the earlier round I felt the world record [was possible], because it's a new track, it's fast. But I came out here just to win. I'm so happy for myself and my country.
"Me and my coach, we decided that I can take both the 100m and 200m. So I came here prepared to do that."
606: DEBATE
I'm still shaking my head in disbelief - amazing
GB
Bolt's Jamaican team-mate Asafa Powell had been tipped as a possible rival but finished in fifth place as Bolt produced a superlative performance.
Powell told BBC Sport: "I messed up big time, my legs died on me. Usain ran an awesome race, I'm very happy for him.
"I'm not sure what happened, I just have to be happy for Usain. It's a sad time for me, I really wanted to get that gold medal. But its quite obvious I wasn't ready for the big stage yet."
Second-placed Thompson posted a time of 9.89 seconds while Dix was two-hundredths of a second back in third as six men broke the 10-second barrier, but the race was all about Bolt.
Earlier this year he had set a new world record of 9.72 seconds to take the record away from Powell, and the 21-year-old had looked in imperious form on his way to the final, which world champion Tyson Gay failed to qualify for.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt wins Olympic gold by a clear margin even though he eased off
Powell had also looked in fine form but from the gun it was clear there was only going to be one winner.
The 6ft 5in Bolt was away as quickly as anyone and when he hit the front with 50m to go it was all over bar the shouting.
The only question was just how fast a time he was going to set.
And despite easing down well short of the line he took three-hundredths of a second off his previous record in a display American legend Michael Johnson described as "the greatest 100m performance in the history of the event".
Bolt will now try to become the first man to complete the 100m-200m double since Carl Lewis at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
The 200m heats start on Monday, with the final taking place on Wednesday.
-- Edited by jeremy at 15:31, 2008-08-16