Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres

The men's 100 metres sprint event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 15 and 16 August at the Beijing National Stadium.[1] 80 athletes from 64 nations competed.[2] Each nation was limited to 3 athletes per rules in force since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by Jamaican Usain Bolt in a world record time of 9.69 seconds. It was Jamaica's first title in the event, and first medal in the event since 1976. Jamaica became the first country to join the men's 100 metre winners since Trinidad and Tobago, also in 1976; Richard Thompson won the country's fourth overall medal in the event with his silver.

Men's 100 metres
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Bolt after winning the 100m final
VenueBeijing National Stadium
Dates
  • 15 August (heats and quarterfinals)
  • 16 August (semifinals and final)
Competitors80 from 64 nations
Winning time9.69 WR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Usain Bolt
 Jamaica
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Richard Thompson
 Trinidad and Tobago
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Walter Dix
 United States
← 2004
2012 →
External videos
video icon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-urnlaJpOA Official video highlights

Holding a considerable lead 70 metres (230 ft) into the race, Bolt opened his arms in celebration before slapping his chest. British athlete and television presenter Kriss Akabusi criticized this gesture as showboating, noting that it cost Bolt an even faster record time.[3] IOC president Jacques Rogge also criticized Bolt's actions as disrespectful.[4][5] Bolt denied that this was the purpose of his mid-race celebration, stating, "I wasn't bragging. When I saw I wasn't covered, I was just happy."[6]

Summary

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Prior to the 2008 season, Usain Bolt was known as a 200-metre sprinter, having set the world youth best in the event four years earlier; he had only run in the 100 metres the year before, with a one-off race in Rethymno. While people were impressed with his time of 10.03 seconds,[7] Bolt was not seen as a threat by other 100-metre sprinters who had previously hit times of 9.9 seconds.

In early May, Bolt persuaded his coach to let him try competing in the 100 metre sprint again. His resulting time of 9.76 seconds was the second-fastest in history, only .02 seconds behind fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell's world record.[8] At the end of the month he entered another 100 metres at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City. The result was a new world record of 9.72 seconds.

While Bolt's slow starts were seen as a liability, his speed once moving was difficult for other athletes to match. Bolt achieved the fastest times in both the quarterfinal and semi-final rounds, while injured Gay and Obikwelu were eliminated. The center lanes of the final, reserved for the fastest qualifiers, included Bolt, Powell, Dix and another collegiate phenom from LSU, Richard Thompson.

In the final, the third Jamaican in the race, Michael Frater, got the best start, along with Thompson and Darvis Patton. 30 m (98 ft) into the race, Bolt had reached his full running position and had pulled even with the leader, Thompson. By the next 20 m (66 ft), Bolt had pulled away, with Thompson breaking up a sweep of Frater and Powell.

20 metres before the finish, already with a 3-metre (9.8 ft) lead, Bolt held out his arms in celebration; behind him, Dix and Churandy Martina made a late rush to overtake Frater and Powell. Turning to look back at his fellow competitors, Bolt crossed the finish line sideways with his arms outstretched, finishing with a new world record of 9.69 seconds. Thompson later said that "I could see him slowing down ahead as I was still pumping away."[9]

Background

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The 2008 Olympic Games was the 26th time the event was held, having appeared at every Olympics since the first in 1896. Four finalists from 2004 returned: silver medalist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, fifth-place finisher Asafa Powell of Jamaica, sixth-place finisher Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Aziz Zakari of Ghana, who had been unable to finish the final. Collins and Zakari had also been to the final in 2000. Defending gold medalist Justin Gatlin was banned at the time for failing a second drugs test, testing positive for testosterone.[10]

In Gatlin's absence, the United States team was led by Tyson Gay, the reigning world champion, who had suffered a hamstring injury at the U.S. trials. An ascendant Jamaican team included Powell, who had held the world record from 2005 to 2008, and Usain Bolt, who had taken the world record in May 2008.[2]

The Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu appeared in the event for the first time. The United States made its 25th appearance in the event, the most of any country, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Olympic Games.

Qualification

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Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A qualifying standard (10.21 seconds) in the qualifying period (1 January 2007 to 23 July 2008). NOCs were also permitted to enter one athlete providing he had met the B standard (10.28 seconds) in the same qualifying period.[11]

Competition format

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The event retained the same basic four round format introduced in 1920: heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. The "fastest loser" system, introduced in 1968, was used again to ensure that the quarterfinals and subsequent rounds had exactly 8 runners per heat; this time, the system was used in both the heats and quarterfinals.

The first round consisted of 10 heats, each with 8 or 9 athletes. The top three runners in each heat advanced, along with the next ten fastest runners overall. This made 40 quarterfinalists, who were divided into 5 heats of 8 runners. The top three runners in each quarterfinal advanced, with one "fastest loser" place. The 16 semifinalists competed in two heats of 8, with the top four in each semifinal advancing to the eight-man final.[2]

Records

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Prior to the competition, the existing world record, Olympic record, and world leading time were as follows:

World record   Usain Bolt (JAM) 9.72 seconds New York City, United States 31 May 2008
Olympic record   Donovan Bailey (CAN) 9.84 seconds Atlanta, United States 27 July 1996
World leading   Usain Bolt (JAM) 9.72 seconds New York City, United States 31 May 2008

The following new world and Olympic records were set during the competition:

Date Event Athlete Time OR WR
16 August Final   Usain Bolt (JAM) 9.69 seconds OR WR

Schedule

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All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8).

Date Time Round
Friday, 15 August 2008 09:45
19:45
Heats
Quarterfinals
Saturday, 16 August 2008 20:00
22:30
Semifinals
Final

Disqualification

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Eight years after the event, the IOC reanalyzed doping samples and disqualified Samuel Francis for having stanozolol in his sample.[12]

Results

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Heats

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The first round was held on 15 August. The first three runners of each heat plus the next ten overall fastest runners qualified for the second round.

Heat 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 3 Usain Bolt   Jamaica 0.186 10.20 Q
2 9 Daniel Bailey   Antigua and Barbuda 0.198 10.24 Q
3 6 Vicente de Lima   Brazil 0.168 10.26 Q, SB
4 2 Henry Vizcaíno   Cuba 0.157 10.28 q
5 4 Fabio Cerutti   Italy 0.136 10.49
6 5 Jurgen Themen   Suriname 0.179 10.61 PB
7 8 Moses Kamut   Vanuatu 0.181 10.81
8 7 Francis Manioru   Solomon Islands 0.197 11.09
Wind: -0.2 m/s

Heat 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 5 Asafa Powell   Jamaica 0.142 10.16 Q
2 3 Kim Collins   Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.162 10.17 Q
3 7 Craig Pickering   Great Britain 0.174 10.21 Q
4 2 Daniel Grueso   Colombia 0.178 10.35 q
5 9 Dariusz Kuć   Poland 0.144 10.44 q
6 8 Béranger Bosse   Central African Republic 0.144 10.51 SB
7 6 Aisea Tohi   Tonga 0.159 11.17
8 4 Roman William Cress   Marshall Islands 0.190 11.18
Wind: 0.0 m/s

Heat 3

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 8 Richard Thompson   Trinidad and Tobago 0.188 10.24 Q
2 5 Martial Mbandjock   France 0.162 10.26 Q
3 4 Simone Collio   Italy 0.140 10.32 Q
4 2 Aziz Zakari   Ghana 0.177 10.34 q
5 6 Andrew Hinds   Barbados 0.140 10.35 q
6 3 Suryo Agung Wibowo   Indonesia 0.175 10.46
7 7 Jared Lewis   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.123 11.00
8 9 Rabangaki Nawai   Kiribati 0.152 11.29 SB
Wind: 0.0 m/s

Heat 4

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 3 Michael Frater   Jamaica 0.156 10.15 Q
2 4 Pierre Browne   Canada 0.141 10.22 Q
3 6 Darrel Brown   Trinidad and Tobago 0.139 10.22 Q
4 7 Nobuharu Asahara   Japan 0.160 10.25 q
5 9 Holder da Silva   Guinea-Bissau 0.184 10.58
6 2 Idrissa Sanou   Burkina Faso 0.171 10.63
7 8 Ghyd-Kermeliss-Holly Olonghot   Republic of the Congo 0.172 11.01
8 5 Massoud Azizi   Afghanistan 0.160 11.45
Wind: 0.2 m/s

Heat 5

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 2 Tyson Gay   United States 0.148 10.22 Q
2 5 Olusoji A. Fasuba   Nigeria 0.156 10.29 Q
3 4 José Carlos Moreira   Brazil 0.192 10.29 Q
4 7 Ángel David Rodríguez   Spain 0.145 10.34 q
5 9 Lukas Milo   Czech Republic 0.145 10.52
6 8 Mhadjou Youssouf   Comoros 0.170 10.62 PB
7 3 Danny D'Souza   Seychelles 0.180 11.00
8 6 Shanahan Sanitoa   American Samoa 0.158 12.60
Wind: 0.7 m/s

Heat 6

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 5 Tyrone Edgar   Great Britain 0.138 10.13 Q
2 6 Darvis Patton   United States 0.149 10.25 Q
3 7 Ronald Pognon   France 0.167 10.26 Q
4 2 Hu Kai   China 0.152 10.39 q
5 4 Abdullah Al-Sooli   Oman 0.153 10.53 PB
6 8 Desislav Gunev   Bulgaria 0.152 10.66
7 3 Ali Shareef   Maldives 0.171 11.11 NR
8 9 Souksavanh Tonsacktheva   Laos 0.183 11.51
Wind: 0.9 m/s

Heat 7

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Francis Obikwelu   Portugal 0.190 10.25 Q
2 2 Obinna Metu   Nigeria 0.176 10.34 Q
3 5 Walter Dix   United States 0.167 10.35 Q
4 6 Anson Henry   Canada 0.138 10.37 q
5 8 Dmytro Hlushchenko   Ukraine 0.200 10.57
6 3 Calvin Kang Li Loong   Singapore 0.140 10.73
7 9 Jesse Tamangrow   Palau 0.146 11.38 PB
8 7 Reginaldo Micha Ndong   Equatorial Guinea 0.242 11.61
Wind: -1.4 m/s

Heat 8

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 3 Derrick Atkins   Bahamas 0.162 10.28 Q
2 4 Andrey Yepishin   Russia 0.172 10.34 Q
3 9 Jaysuma Saidy Ndure   Norway 0.164 10.37 Q
4 6 Uchenna Emedolu   Nigeria 0.192 10.46
5 2 Suwaibou Sanneh   The Gambia 0.157 10.52
6 5 Sandro Viana   Brazil 0.160 10.60
7 7 Lai Chun Ho   Hong Kong 0.199 10.63
8 8 Mohamed Abu Abdullah   Bangladesh 0.174 11.07
Wind: -0.1 m/s

Heat 9

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Samuel Francis   Qatar 0.153 10.40 DSQ Q
2 5 Marc Burns   Trinidad and Tobago 0.160 10.46 Q
3 9 Matic Osovnikar   Slovenia 0.187 10.46 Q
4 7 Rolando Palacios   Honduras 0.189 10.49
5 2 Ruslan Abbasov   Azerbaijan 0.154 10.58
6 4 Sébastien Gattuso   Monaco 0.164 10.70
7 8 Jack Howard   Federated States of Micronesia 0.204 11.03
8 3 Gordon Heather   Cook Islands 0.214 11.41 PB
Wind: -1.7 m/s

Heat 10

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Churandy Martina   Netherlands Antilles 0.164 10.35 Q
2 5 Naoki Tsukahara   Japan 0.169 10.39 Q
3 6 Simeon Williamson   Great Britain 0.183 10.42 Q
4 9 Tobias Unger   Germany 0.161 10.46 q
5 8 Franklin Nazareno   Ecuador 0.178 10.60
6 7 Wilfried Bingangoye   Gabon 0.171 10.87
7 2 Moumi Sebergue   Chad 0.210 11.14
8 3 Okilani Tinilau   Tuvalu 0.174 11.48 NR
Wind: -1.3 m/s

Quarterfinals

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The quarterfinals were held on 15 August. The first three runners of each heat plus the next overall fastest runner qualified for the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Churandy Martina   Netherlands Antilles 0.142 9.99 Q, NR
2 7 Michael Frater   Jamaica 0.154 10.09 Q
3 6 Naoki Tsukahara   Japan 0.156 10.23 Q, SB
4 9 Simeon Williamson   Great Britain 0.127 10.32
5 3 Henry Vizcaíno   Cuba 0.167 10.33
6 5 Pierre Browne   Canada 0.144 10.36
7 2 Dariusz Kuć   Poland 0.176 10.46
8 8 Darrel Brown   Trinidad and Tobago 0.119 10.93
Wind: -0.1 m/s

Quarterfinal 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Richard Thompson   Trinidad and Tobago 0.170 9.99 Q
2 4 Tyson Gay   United States 0.146 10.09 Q
3 7 Martial Mbandjock   France 0.160 10.16 Q
4 5 Olusoji A. Fasuba   Nigeria 0.147 10.21
5 2 Andrew Hinds   Barbados 0.148 10.25
6 8 José Carlos Moreira   Brazil 0.193 10.32
7 9 Simone Collio   Italy 0.138 10.33
8 3 Daniel Grueso   Colombia 0.193 10.37
Wind: 0.0 m/s

Quarterfinal 3

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Marc Burns   Trinidad and Tobago 0.174 10.05 Q
2 4 Kim Collins   Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.150 10.07 Q, =SB
3 5 Tyrone Edgar   Great Britain 0.130 10.10 Q
4 7 Samuel Francis   Qatar 0.164 10.11 DSQ Q
5 9 Ronald Pognon   France 0.167 10.21
6 8 Matic Osovnikar   Slovenia 0.171 10.24
7 2 Tobias Unger   Germany 0.136 10.36
8 3 Nobuharu Asahara   Japan 0.145 10.37
Wind: -0.2 m/s

Quarterfinal 4

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 7 Usain Bolt   Jamaica 0.165 9.92 Q
2 5 Darvis Patton   United States 0.159 10.04 Q
3 4 Francis Obikwelu   Portugal 0.168 10.09 Q
4 8 Jaysuma Saidy Ndure   Norway 0.133 10.14
5 9 Craig Pickering   Great Britain 0.144 10.18
6 6 Obinna Metu   Nigeria 0.174 10.27
7 3 Anson Henry   Canada 0.142 10.33
8 2 Ángel David Rodríguez   Spain 0.154 10.35
Wind: 0.1 m/s

Quarterfinal 5

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 7 Asafa Powell   Jamaica 0.149 10.02 Q
2 9 Walter Dix   United States 0.163 10.08 Q
3 5 Derrick Atkins   Bahamas 0.179 10.14 Q
4 4 Daniel Bailey   Antigua and Barbuda 0.149 10.23
5 3 Aziz Zakari   Ghana 0.167 10.24
6 6 Andrey Yepishin   Russia 0.158 10.25
7 8 Vicente de Lima   Brazil 0.157 10.31
8 2 Hu Kai   China 0.165 10.40
Wind: -0.1 m/s

Semifinals

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The semifinals were held on 16 August. The first four runners from each semifinal qualified for the final.

Semifinal 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 7 Usain Bolt   Jamaica 0.161 9.85 Q
2 6 Walter Dix   United States 0.143 9.95 Q, SB
3 4 Marc Burns   Trinidad and Tobago 0.124 9.97 Q, =SB
4 9 Michael Frater   Jamaica 0.163 10.01 Q
5 5 Kim Collins   Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.163 10.05 SB
6 2 Derrick Atkins   Bahamas 0.159 10.13
7 8 Tyrone Edgar   Great Britain 0.143 10.18
3 Samuel Francis   Qatar 0.146 10.20 DSQ
Wind: -0.1 m/s

Semifinal 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Asafa Powell   Jamaica 0.161 9.91 Q
2 7 Richard Thompson   Trinidad and Tobago 0.175 9.93 Q, =PB
3 5 Churandy Martina   Netherlands Antilles 0.138 9.94 Q, NR
4 4 Darvis Patton   United States 0.149 10.03 Q
5 9 Tyson Gay   United States 0.145 10.05
6 8 Francis Obikwelu   Portugal 0.157 10.10
7 3 Naoki Tsukahara   Japan 0.143 10.16 SB
8 2 Martial Mbandjock   France 0.148 10.18
Wind: 0.3 m/s

Final

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The final was held on 16 August.

Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
  4 Usain Bolt   Jamaica 0.165 9.69 WR
  5 Richard Thompson   Trinidad and Tobago 0.133 9.89 PB
  6 Walter Dix   United States 0.133 9.91 PB
4 9 Churandy Martina   Netherlands Antilles 0.169 9.93 NR
5 7 Asafa Powell   Jamaica 0.134 9.95
6 2 Michael Frater   Jamaica 0.147 9.97 PB
7 8 Marc Burns   Trinidad and Tobago 0.145 10.01
8 3 Darvis Patton   United States 0.142 10.03
Wind: 0.0 m/s
 
Bolt held a considerable lead over his rivals in the closing stages of the 100 m final

References

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  1. ^ "Olympic Athletics Competition Schedule". IAAF. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  2. ^ a b c "100 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ^ Akabusi, Kriss (2008-08-19). "Bolt's showboating is a slap for us idealists". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  4. ^ IOC Rips Bolt for Lack of 'Respect', Associated Press, 2008-08-21, archived from the original on 24 August 2008, retrieved 2008-08-21
  5. ^ Broadbent, Rick (2008-08-21). "Deluded Jacques Rogge fails to see the champion in Usain Bolt". The Times. London. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  6. ^ Landells, Steve (2008-08-16). ""It was crazy, phenomenal" - Bolt's 9.69 100 metres stuns the Bird's Nest". IAAF. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  7. ^ "Impressive 10.03 by Bolt in Rethymno - Vardinoyiannia report | REPORT | World Athletics".
  8. ^ "Bolt stuns with 9.76 dash in Kingston – Jamaica International report | REPORT | World Athletics".
  9. ^ "Olympics: Usain Bolt takes Olympic glory with new 100m world record". TheGuardian.com. 16 August 2008.
  10. ^ "Justin Gatlin: I should not be called two-times drugs cheat despite two bans". The Guardian. June 25, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  11. ^ "Entry Standards - The XXIX Olympic Games - Beijing, China - 8/24 August 2008". IAAF. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  12. ^ "IOC sanctions two athletes for failing anti-doping tests at Beijing 2008". olympic.org. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
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