Lightning Strikes Twice: Bolt Repeats As 100m Champion

Usain Bolt And The Swag-Off: Reviewing The Amazing 100m Intros

Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the 100 meters in record fashion on Sunday. He also won the swag-off in the pre-race intros.

Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt And The Greatest Olympian Ever

Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt are two of the most dominant Olympians ever. Is either the greatest Olympian of all-time? Time to answer everything from the weekend, except that, in the Monday Morning Jones.

Oscar Pistorius, Kirani James Provide Superb Olympics Moment

Man Who Threw Bottle, Got Punched Before 100m Final Identified

Well this is some great camerawork. It's also a great time to ridicule the moron who, just seconds before the gun went off to begin the men's 100m finals, threw a bottle onto the track in the direction of Usain Bolt.

To set the scene, the eight finalists were in the blocks and the stadium had gone quiet. All eyes were on the starting line as Bolt and the rest of his incredibly speedy competitors got set to fly down the track in less than 10 seconds. And one idiot decided he wanted to be completely stupid.

So he threw a bottle. He was close enough to the track and positioned right behind the runners that the bottle got pretty close to the blocks.

See the woman next to him in the black and orange? That's Edith Bosch. Earlier, she took home a bronze medal in judo.

She wasn't having the whole bottle-throwing thing and reportedly decked the guy. A bit of instant karma, if you will. And if that wasn't enough, the man was arrested. Because he's an idiot and did it in plain sight of, well, everyone. Nice job!

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Usain Bolt Is As Respectful As He Is Fast

VIDEO: Jags Fans, Players Watch Sanya Richards-Ross Win Gold

Yohan Blake Takes Silver Behind Usain Bolt In Men's 100m

Yohan Blake beat Usain Bolt in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Jamaican Olympic trials, won the 2011 world championship in the 100m — a race in which Bolt did not participate — and was viewed as the reason Bolt wasn't a runaway favorite to repeat his stunning feat from the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Blake ran the race of his life Sunday night in London, but it wasn't enough. Bolt lowered his Olympic record to 9.63 seconds, and Blake finished in second place, securing a silver medal in his first career Olympic final in 9.75 seconds, among the fastest times ever recorded. He beat American Justin Gatlin by .04 seconds, sharing the medal stand with Bolt, his friend and training partner. The two hugged after the race as they ran around Olympic stadium wearing the black, green and yellow Jamaican flags.

Blake didn't seem the least bit disappointed with his finished, as evidenced by an interview he gave directly after the race, courtesy of Reuters:

"Usain knows what it takes, he is a world beater and he is the fastest man in the world. But I got a medal in my first Olympic Games and a lot of that is down to Usain and our coach."

Blake will try again to best Bolt in the 200-meter finals next week, though that won't be easy. As dominant as Bolt is in the 100, he's even better in the 200.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Usain Bolt Sets New Olympic Record, Wins Second Straight 100m Gold Medal

On Sunday, Usain Bolt proved once again, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is the fastest man alive. The Jamaican sprinter took home the gold medal in the men's 100m final for the second straight Olympics.

Bolt actually got out to a slow start off the blocks. Early speculation was that Bolt was worried about being disqualified due to a false start. Bolt, via Reuters, confirmed as much after the race was done.

"I was slightly worried about my start, I didn't want to false start again. So I think I sat in the blocks a little bit, I don't think it was the best reaction in the world, but I executed and that was the key.

"My coach said stop worrying about your start, the best of your race is at the end, that's where you rule. So I stopped worrying about the start and I executed, so it worked."

And how. After getting off to his slow start, Bolt kicked it into high gear after the first 20 meters and pulled away, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 9.63 seconds. That old Olympic record? That one was his, too. He also holds the world record, in case there's any question as to whether he truly is the fastest person who's ever lived.

To win, Bolt had to hold off the fastest field of competitors ever in the 100m. Countryman Yohan Blake, who came in second, finished in 9.75 seconds -- the second-fastest losing time ever. Bolt had this to say about Blake:

"In training he always works hard and pushes me. I knew what I needed to do but I think he will do better next time. He is a major talent. He beat almost everybody and I know he will be more confident and do better next time."

How's this for even more impressive: Bryan Fischer of CBS Sports noted that Bolt was actually turning his head as he crossed the finish line to check on his time. The move likely cost Bolt a few hundredths of a second, but Bolt didn't seem overly concerned.

United States runner Justin Gatlin finished in third place with a time of 9.79 seconds, while USA's Tyson Gay missed out on the podium, finishing in fourth place at 9.80. Gay was in tears following the race.

"I tried man. I tried my best. I just came up short."

The other runners in the race seemed nearly as in awe of Bolt as was the crowd watching in the stadium and at home. Richard Thompson, who finished seventh, had this to say:

"He's an unbelievable sprinter (Bolt). The entire world says he's unbeatable and right now he is."

Bolt is certainly unbeatable in the 100m. And he now has the hardware to prove his utter dominance of the running world for the past four-plus years.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Men's 100m Dash: Tyson Gay Falls Short Of Podium By .01 Seconds

It's not easy being Tyson Gay. The American sprinter is one of two people ever to record a 100-meter dash under 9.7 seconds without wind assistance, is by all accounts a spectacularly nice person, yet can't climb from under the shadow of the other guy to run below a 9.7, Usain Bolt.

Bolt, of course, won gold again in the hundred-meter dash, and his training partner and countryman Yohan Blake took the silver. Blake was expected to medal — after all, he had defeated Bolt at the Jamaican Olympic trials — and Gay, who didn't make the Olympic finals in Beijing due to injury, was also expected to be in the mix.

The re-emergence of 2004 gold medalist Justin Gatlin threw a wrench in Bolt's plans, however. Gatlin blew away the field at the U.S. Olympic trials, won his heat in the preliminaries and semifinals in London and beat Gay by one-hundredth of a second, 9.79 to 9.80, to claim the bronze, leaving Gay again without an Olympic medal. He was understandably devastated after the race, in an interview with Reuters.

"I tried man. I tried my best. I just came up short."

It's heart-wrenching for Gay and his fans, considering this is likely his last chance to medal at an individual event at the Olympics—he's turning 30 years old on Thursday—and his lone shot at redemption will be in the 4x100 relay, the same event he was part of a botched baton pass in 2008.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Women's Judo Medalist Punches Man Who Threw Bottle Before 100m Final

2012 Olympics, Men's 100m Results: Justin Gatlin Earns Bronze Medal

On Sunday, the 2012 Olympics witnessed one of the main events of track and field as the men's 100m final was held in London. In the end, Usain Bolt overcame what at first appeared to be a slow start to run away with the gold and set a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds. It was the most thrilling 9.63 seconds in recent memory.

Fellow Jamaican runner Yohan Blake captured the silver with a time of 9.75. Although lead U.S. runner Tyson Gay's time of 9.80 was not good enough to warrant a trip to the podium, the United States did not miss out on a medal altogether. Justin Gatlin, from Brooklyn, will bring home the bronze medal after placing third at 9.79 seconds.

Gatlin, like the other runners in the field, was in awe of the entire spectacle, which featured the fastest field in the history of the event. Reuters had these quotes from Gatlin:

"At this moment in time it was probably the dream race. It was a great race and I think there are even better ones to come.

"Usain Bolt has the best technique out there. I tried to hold on with my technique and I got back on the podium for the first time in 10 years. It feels good, regardless of what I have gone through. I did this for the people who support me. This medal is for them and they pushed me when I didn't want to push myself."

Gatlin was previously the gold medal winner in the event at the 2004 Olympics in London, but Bolt has claimed the 100m entirely for himself since 2008. Bolt is now the two-time defending champion. It seems there will be few who can challenge his crown for the time being.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

2012 Olympics, Women's 400m Results: Sanya Richards-Ross Takes The Gold

The United States women had a fantastic showing on Sunday in the final of the 400m, taking home the gold and the bronze. Sanya Richards-Ross overtook the rest of the field with less than 100 meters to go and captured the first track and field gold medal for Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Richards-Ross, who is married to Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Aaron Ross, edged out Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain with a time of 49.55 seconds. Fellow U.S. runner DeeDee Trotter was leading before being overtaken in the home stretch, finished in third place to give the United States another medal to add to their total.

Richards-Ross shed tears of joy after the win. The Associated Press captured her thoughts after the race.

"The run was phenomenal," Richards-Ross said. "It's very, very challenging to get on the Olympic stage and give your best performance, to balance your emotions and physical. It's a huge weight off my shoulders. I kept telling myself, `You are the champ. You are the champ.' To go out there and actually accomplish it is really fantastic."

This is the first individual Olympic gold medal for Richards-Ross.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

2012 Olympics, Men's 100m In Photos: From Start To Usain Bolt's Blazing Finish

We've seen the video of Usain Bolt's 100m win. We've watched the GIFs of Bolt doing his thing. And now it's time to check out the still shots.

There's something about the way photography wonderfully captures moments. Sure, we can watch things in motion in a variety of way, but stills -- the freeze frame -- adds even more detail. And with hundreds of cameras trained on Bolt and the track for the 100m race, there were some superb shots.

This is how it all began. And while a lot was made of Usain Bolt's slow start, you can actually see that he got out of the blocks first. Also, this is an amazing photo.

via Adam Pretty / Getty Images

And from another angle:

via Richard Mackson / USA Today

And a third angle:

via John David Mercer / USA Today

As noted everywhere, Bolt wasn't exactly flying out of the blocks. In fact, he was bunched up with the rest of the field in the opening moments.

via Richard Mackson / USA Today

This next shot comes right after Bolt turned it on. It took him a bit to get up to speed, but once he did, it was on. Check out the length of his stride.

I just thought the way this one was framed was cool.

via Richard Mackson / USA Today

The angle here may be a little funky, but look at how big a lead Bolt opened up.

via Richard Mackson / USA Today

Check the finish out. As everyone strains and struggles behind him, Bolt is already looking over at the clock, a good step ahead of the field.

Via Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

And from another angle:

via Leo Mason / USA Today

And finally, the mascot celebration. Really the best way to top this race off.

via John David Mercer / USA Today

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

The Best Usain Bolt Photo

Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi Wins Men's 3000m Steeplechase, Hungary's Krisztian Pars Wins Hammer Throw Gold

Day 9 at the 2012 Summer Olympics also marked the third day of track and field in London, with six medals decided at Olympic Stadium.

The night session was highlighted by Sanya Richards-Ross's win in the women's 400m -- Team USA's first gold in track and field at the Games -- and Usain Bolt's unbelievable performance in the 100 meters as he defended his title of The Fastest Man on Earth.

Also, there was action in the men's 3000m steeplechase, an event that requires competitors to run over seven-and-a-half laps of the track and jump 28 hurdles ... seven of which have a pool of water on the other side, because the Olympics are full of sports that maybe (?) made sense 100 years ago. Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi won the event, the second Olympic gold of his career.

Afterward, he celebrated:

Kemboi has been dominant in the event since he captured gold in the 2004 Games. He won the 3000m steeplechase title at the World Championships in 2009 and 2011 (with silvers in 2003, 2005 and 2007). His fellow countryman Abel Mutai won the bronze while France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad took the silver. American Evan Jager faded near the end and finished sixth, more than five seconds behind Kemboi.

The "field" portion of track and field also handed out medals Sunday night, with Hungary's Krisztian Pars winning gold in the men's hammer throw. The 2011 World Championships runner-up threw the 16-pound hammer -- a long chain with a ball attached at the end -- 80.59 meters, or a bit more than 88 yards. Pars's throw bested the silver medalist, Primoz Kozmus, by 1.23 meters. Japan's Koji Murofushi won the bronze medal with a throw of 78.71 meters.

In the women's triple jump, Olga Rypakova took home the gold medal with a jump of 14.98 meters, beating out Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia's 14.80. Olha Saladuha of Ukraine was just behind at 14.79 meters for the bronze.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Usain Bolt Wins 100m Gold, In GIF Form

Perhaps the most anticipated race of the 2012 Olympics lived up to its billing and then some. Usain Bolt raced down the field from behind and easily pulled away. It was an absolute sight to behold, and something that left everyone with their jaws on the floor, uttering words of excitement and amazement.

So let's just keep reliving the race over and over. You can watch the video of Bolt's win, if that's your thing. Or you can watch GIFs, because GIFs are great.

GIF of the whole race (Warning: Big file. Click to play):

Now let's highlight the moment Bolt hit the jets. This is pretty incredible, and is my favorite GIF for a number of reasons.

"Excuse me, gotta go!"

The celebratory poses:

With a cape!

On the flip side, Asafa Powell pulled up lame after suffering an apparent injury, which you can see in the early GIF featuring Bolt. He was visibly sad as he collected himself on the track.

So yeah, Usain Bolt took on a ridiculously fast field and made them all look foolish. When he hit his top-end speed, it was almost as if everyone else was standing still. Simply an incredible race, and performance, to watch.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

VIDEO: Watch Usain Bolt Dominate The 100m Finals In London

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It's Usain Bolt's world and everyone else is living in it. Once again, Bolt blew through the field and took home gold at the Olympics, finishing the 100m finals in a time of 9.63. After questions about whether Bolt was ready -- prompted by Yohan Blake's win at the Jamaican trials -- the world record holder reminded everyone who's the boss.

And the funny thing about it is that Bolt didn't even get off to a great start. He was slow out of the blocks, lagging a bit behind and everyone hit their stride. And then he decided it was just time to go.

Watch what happened when Bolt hit the afterburners. It was all over.

This field was absolutely loaded. Seven of the participants went under 10 seconds in the final. The only one that didn't, Asafa Powell, pulled up lame. And he ran sub-10 in the semifinals.

But once again, it was all about Bolt. And damn, he is fast.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Usain Bolt Wins 100m Gold In Olympic Record 9.63 Seconds

Usain Bolt won gold in the men's 100 meter dash Sunday night at the Summer Olympics, defending his title from Beijing and establishing himself as one of the greatest sprinters the world has ever seen.

Sanya Richards-Ross Wins Gold In Women's 400m, DeeDee Trotter Grabs Bronze

Sanya Richards-Ross was golden in the 400m, earning her first individual Olympic gold medal and Team USA's first gold at the track and field events in London.

How To Watch Live: Usain Bolt Goes For Gold In 100m Final

The signature event of the Olympics will take place Sunday afternoon as Jamaica's Usain Bolt looks to defend his gold medal in the men's 100m finals in track and field. Bolt will try to hold off three Americans and fellow Jamaicans Usafa Powell and Yohan Blake, who defeated the world-record holder in both the 100m and 200m races during their country's Olympic trials. But Bolt looked like his old "fastest man on earth" self in the semifinals, putting it in cruise control over the final 20 meters and showboating his way across the line.

The semifinals featured seven times under 10 seconds, creating a buzz in the stadium in advance of the finals. American Justin Gatlin posted the fastest time, a 9.82 in the first heat. That's the fastest Olympic time since Bolt ran a 9.69 four years ago in Beijing. In addition to Gatlin, American Tyson Gay looked impressive in the third heat with a 9.90 -- just behind Blake, who crossed in 9.85.

Ryan Bailey was the third American to qualify, posting a time of 9.96 after a slow start in the second heat. It could be the strongest field in the event's history with all three Americans and all three Jamaicans capable of winning a medal.

The final will be at 4:50 p.m. ET and you can watch a livestream of the race at NBCOlympics.com. NBC will carry a tape-delayed broadcast of the race during their evening coverage from 8 p.m. to midnight ET.

Update: SI's Richard Deitsch has the lane assignments:

Here's the official start list for tonight's men's 100 final. #sieod: twitter.com/richarddeitsch…

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) August 5, 2012

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Men's 100m Semifinal: Usain Bolt Easily Advances With Americans Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay

The signature event of the 2012 London Olympics is now set with the Men's 100m semifinals completed. Usain Bolt moved through to the finals with a time of 9.87 seconds. The defending Olympic champion and world record holder went off in heat two in lane four and blew away the field in the second semi. He didn't even get off to the best of starts, but still put the brakes on and put it into cruise control over the final 20 meters.

Bolt has had a tumultuous stretch between Beijing and London, from blazing a new world record in Berlin to taking some heat off the track for his partying ways to being beat out by countryman Yohan Blake during Jamaican trials. But he once again looked like the fastest man on earth with his performance in the semifinals.

In addition to three Jamaican superstars, each heat featured a Team USA sprinter. Justin Gatlin led things off and raced in the first heat, posting a time of 9.82. Gatlin was incredibly impressive in opening the semifinals, even taking time to look around over the final 10 meters as he cruised across the line. It was the second-fastest time in Olympic history behind Bolt's 9.69 in Beijing. He certainly looks to be a medal contender and someone who could perhaps push Bolt in the finals.

Jamaican Asafa Powell, who held the world record for three years until Bolt burst onto the scene in 2008, came in third and posted a time of 9.94 in the first heat -- good enough to qualify. Churandy Martina of the Netherlands just edged Powell to automatically qualify with a time of 9.91.

In addition to Bolt, the second heat featured American Ryan Bailey. He did not get of the blocks quickly, but came back down the stretch and qualified for the finals with a time of 9.96.

The third heat set up a superstar battle between Jamaican Yohan Blake and American Tyson Gay. Blake, who defeated Bolt in both the 100m and 200m in their country's Olympic trials, posted a time of 9.85 to qualify easily. Gay wrapped up the semifinals for the Americans on the heels of Blake with a time of 9.90.

Seven qualifiers were all under 10 seconds in what is shaping up to be perhaps the strongest ever field in the Men's 100m finals.

1. Justin Gatlin, USA: 9.82
2. Yohan Blake, Jamaica: 9.85
3. Usain Bolt, Jamaica: 9.87
4. Tyson Gay, USA: 9.90
5. Churandy Martina, Netherlands: 9.91
6. Asafa Powell, Jamaica: 9.94
7. Ryan Bailey, USA: 9.96
8. Richard Thompson, Trinidad and Tobago: 10:02

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub.

Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana Wins Women's Marathon, Sets Olympic Record

Ethiopia earned its first gold of the Olympics thanks to a strong finish by Tiki Gelana.

2012 Olympics Track & Field: Schedule, TV Coverage For Sunday

The 100m finals will be the most exciting 10 or so seconds of track and field action on Sunday, but there's tons more, from the Olympics longest race to its shortest.