BOLT MAKES HIS-THREE

The Jamaican sprint superstar emerged victorious in his grudge match against American Justin Gatlin to win his third successive gold medal in the 100m final race last night, running the track in 9.81 seconds.

Gatlin, who finished in 9.89 seconds, took home the silver medal while Andre De Grasse of Canada nabbed the bronze.

It was an epic sprint for the line and midway Gatlin appeared to have got the better of Bolt. But Bolt picked up, ran first over the line and didn’t stop to shake hands with his bitter rival as he continued running for another 100 yards, giving Gatlin the ultimate cold shoulder.

It was the race the planet tuned into see and Bolt ensured he was crowned the fastest man in the world at three straight Olympics.

Bolt is now just two races away from completing the ‘triple triple’ and winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

I CAN BE IMMORTAL

“Somebody said I can become immortal,” Bolt said after the race. “Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal.” He grabbed his national flag and cheered and smiled back at his loving audience, soaking up their roaring cheers and applause.

Gatlin had been widely booed as he entered the track, but at the end still grabbed the Stars and Stripes and draped it over his shoulders for his own victory lap.

“We work 365 days a year to be here for nine seconds,” Gatlin said after winning his third Olympic medal. “At the age of 34, to race these young guys and still make the podium feels so good. That was for my son. If he’s watching…I love you, son.” The race was billed as an epic head-to-head between Bolt and Gatlin, who has one Olympic gold medal and a career racked with drug controversy.

But Bolt proved in the semifinals that he wasn’t going to relinquish his title easily. He appeared to be cantering along and mocking his opponents as first he looked to his right and then swung his head to his left to look at his rivals behind him, trying to keep pace.

Bolt crossed the line in 9.86 seconds, the fastest time in the three semifinal heats, with a huge grin and a point at the cameras, clearly saving his best for the final. As he celebrated, Bolt took off his spikes and climbed up to the spectators to greet his family.

It took him a few minutes, but he delighted the crowd with his trade mark ‘Bolt’ signal.

JEERS FOR GATLIN

Bolt had received the loudest cheers inside the Olympic Stadium, while New Yorker Gatlin was booed and jeered when his name was called at the start. Gatlin, evidently angry at his reception, crossed the line in 9.94secs and stormed off straight down the tunnel as the other runners stayed on the track shaking hands.

The 100m final was not only the most eagerly awaited event of Rio 2016, but a personal grudge match between the Jamaican and American ace sprinters.

Bolt, who will be 30 on Sunday, said Gatlin would “feel my full wrath”, when they finally came head-to-head on the Olympic track.

Bolt was unimpressed when Gatlin focused on the six-times Olympic gold medalist’s slight injury worries earlier this summer, claiming the champion had been given ‘a medical pass’ to compete after missing the Jamaican trials. “He’s injured, gets a medical pass, that’s what his country does. Our country doesn’t do that,” Gatlin was quoted as saying in the American press.

Bolt, who was hailed as the savior of his sport after his 100m and 200m victories ahead of Gatlin at last year’s World Championships in Beijing, soon hit back. “For me I felt it was a joke - I felt it was a disrespect they think I’d back out of a trials,” he said. “I’ve proven myself year on year that I’m the greatest.

I laughed when I heard it. I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin.” Team US Olympic officials have pleaded for America to finally forgive Gatlin as he bid to become the fastest man in the world once again.

Gatlin won gold in 2004 in the Men’s 100m final at the Athens games, but was later convicted of a doping offense and served a four-year ban, returning to competitive athletics on 2011. It was the second controversy to descend on the 34-year-old track star, who went on to win silver in the London 2012 games - behind Bolt - after he was banned in 2001 from international competition for two years.