Usain Bolt pips Justin Gatlin to Gold in Beijing — IAAF World Championships

Bolt joins Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene as the only men to win three 100m World Championship titles and will aim to complete yet another sprint double in the 200m on Thursday.

Gatlin has dominated the Diamond League season, and his 9.74 is the fastest time in the world this year. A next-to-nothing margin over a more-than-game challenger.

FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA Usain Bolt (c.) uses a late surge to edge Justin Gatlin by. Yet it very well may have been his greatest race ever.

Usain Bolt rode to the rescue of his beleaguered sport once again as he dashed Justin Gatlin’s hopes of 100 metres gold at the World Championships in Beijing. “I’ve been through a lot this season, and it’s been rough”.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates with fans after he won the gold in 100 metre race.

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto and fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang – who previously held the best time – did not finish the race. A silver medalist two years ago, Symmonds was the American representation in the 2009, ’11 and ’13 (along with Duane Solomon) finals.

Bromell was speechless sitting near Bolt and Gatlin after the race.

The problems carried right into Sunday.

It more than showed the challenge Bolt faces in Sunday’s final, like overcoming memories of that stumble.

Instead, Gatlin was the one to crack when the heat was on.

The victory only builds the legend of Bolt for this was doubtless the most unexpected win for the world record holder and multiple world and Olympics gold medallist.

Bolt, back at the scene of his first triple Olympic triumph in 2008, called his Munich-based doctor, Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, “a lifesaver”. 159 seconds was faster than Gatlin’s. “When you’re being chased its hard”, Bolt said.

At 80 meters, the math started changing. Then Bolt beat him. Bolt timed lunged at the line Gatlin did not. Bolt has maintained that he is running clean, and the crowd’s reaction at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing was strongly in his favor. A sliver of space for a man who wins by body lengths. It was the closest 100 final at the worlds since 2003, when Kim Collins edged Darrel Brown by.01.

“I feel good”, said Gatlin.

The controversial Gatlin came into the final on a 28-race unbeaten run and apparently relishing his role as the sport’s bad guy.

There were gold medals for the big men of the field on Sunday with Pole Pawel Fajdek retaining his hammer title, while American Joe Kovacs denied defending champion David Storl of Germany a hat-trick of titles in the shot. He’ll be most proud of this win without a doubt.

“That’s for you guys to write”, he told reporters. “I just tried to put together a race”. “I understand why”, said Bolt afterwards, referring to the importance of beating Gatlin, “but I did it for myself”, added the Jamaican.