Bolt, van Niekerk make history in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO: Usain Bolt stormed to an unprecedented third straight Olympic 100m title as Wayde van Niekerk smashed Michael Johnson’s long- standing 400m record in Rio on Sunday.

On a night of high drama, Bolt galloped past drug- tainted US rival Justin Gatlin to cross in 9.81sec and become the first athlete to win the 100m three times in a row.

The emphatic victory set the Jamaican showman off on his quest to complete the ‘ triple triple’ -- 100m, 200m and 4x100m

Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal. Usain Bolt, Olympic 100m medalist

gold medals at three consecutive Olympics.

“Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal,” said Bolt.

Although well short of his world record, Bolt expressed satisfaction with his performance.

“It was brilliant. I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won. I told you guys I was going to do it,” he added.

Minutes earlier, jaws dropped as van Niekerk timed a lightning 43.03sec in the 400m, breaking Johnson’s 17-year- old record set in 1999.

“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.”

The fireworks came after an emotional Andy Murray won his second straight men’s singles tennis gold, and fellow Brit Justin Rose became the first Olympic golf champion in 112 years.

America’ s Simone Bi les stayed on track for a record five gymnastics gold medals at a single Olympics when she clocked up her third, on the balance beam. And fears over Rio de Janeiro’s fragile security rose after Ryan Lochte and three fellow US swimmers were robbed at gunpoint by criminals posing as police.

Twenty-four hours after Michael Phelps brought the curtain down on his extraordinary career with a record 23rd gold medal, Bolt took centre-stage.

When he entered the stadium, waving and playing to the crowd, fans were still reeling from van Niekerk’s sensational one- lap record. But Bolt, 29, was quickly down to business and he reeled in the fast- starting Gatlin before easing up and thumping his chest as he crossed the line.

It was a crowd-pleasing victory over his US rival Gatlin, who has twice served drug bans in his career. Canada’s Andre de Grasse took bronze.

Colombia’s world champion Caterine Ibarguen won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 15.17m which easily outstripped her rivals. — AFP