RIO DE JANEIRO — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt became the first sprinter to win three consecutive Olympic 100-meter titles, blowing down the straightaway in 9.81 seconds Sunday night for his seventh overall Olympic gold.
American Justin Gatlin, Bolt’s closest pursuer over the past four years, finished second, 0.08 seconds behind. Andre de Grasse of Canada won the bronze.
Bolt came into the Olympics not having run a 100 since June 30, when he pulled out of Jamaican national championships with a bad left hamstring.
The rehab began immediately, and on a muggy Sunday night in Rio, the shining star of track and field showed no signs of distress.
After a typically clunky burst out of the starting block, he started pulling away from Gatlin with about 30 meters left.
He’s not done. Qualifying for the men’s 200, his favorite race, starts Tuesday, with the relay on Friday.
