Usain Bolt ran 9.81 in the 100m final tonight in Rio to win his seventh career Olympic gold medal. He is the first athlete in athletics to win back-to-back-to-back golds in an event on the track.



Bolt has been criticized for having a slow start throughout the rounds and tonight was no different. His reaction time was the second-slowest in tonight's final, but he continues to dominate over the final strides of the race. American Justin Gatlin was looking good as gold only until Bolt surpassed him in the final meters.

Bolt was quick to tweet, er, have his friend tweet him for?

Jamaica Stand Up!!!
This for you my people

— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) August 15, 2016

Gatlin earned silver in 9.89, joining Bolt as the only men to ever win three individual Olympic medals in the 100m. Gatlin won gold in 2004 and bronze in 2012.

USC alum and Canadian native Andre De Grasse finished third with a new personal best time of 9.91 to earn bronze in his first Olympic appearance.

Bolt's health was in question after he pulled out of the Jamaican trials due to a hamstring injury. He won the London Diamond League 200m in 19.89 on July 22, proving good enough fitness to be selected for the Jamaican Olympic team.

World bronze medalist and 60m World Indoor Champion Trayvon Bromell finished eighth in 10.06. The former Baylor Bear finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 9.84, but injured his achilles earlier in the season. After the race, Bromell confirmed he would undergo surgery on his achilles after "one more race."

Blessed to run in my first olympics. Yall don't know how much it meant. One more race, then surgery on my Achilles. Next year Londons mine.

— IamTrayvonBromell (@TrayvonBromell) August 15, 2016

And shortly after, he pretty much told us he would be running in the 4x100m relay.

But this 4x1 butter

— IamTrayvonBromell (@TrayvonBromell) August 15, 2016

But now, we wait for this magical match-up:

We need to see Wayde van Niekerk vs. Usain Bolt over 200m asap after the Olympics. Can we get WVN into the Olympic 200m now?

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 15, 2016