Jamaica's Usain Bolt (2nd L) runs to win the men's 100m final with an Olympic record during the London 2012 Olympic Games Sunday. — ReutersLONDON – Usain Bolt lived up to all the hype of becoming a “living legend" at the London Games, decisively beating his 100-meter Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake to defend his Olympic title. He was slow out of blocks but once his giant stride got going he was unbeatable once again, leaving Blake and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin in his wake. Bolt set a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds, just .05 of a second outside his world record. World champion Blake equaled his personal best with 9.75 and Gatlin took bronze in 9.79. Sanya Richards-Ross accelerated through the stretch to win the 400-meter race for the first US gold in track and field here. Capping a four-year wait for a second chance with the finish she wanted, Richards-Ross won in 49.55 to edge out the defending champion, Christine Ohuruogu of Britain, who finished in 49.70. American DeeDee Trotter finished third in 49.72. Richards-Ross ran to the stands and hugged her husband, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Aaron Ross, a quite different scene from 2008 in Beijing, when she finished third and was found crying under the stands at the Bird's Nest. Ezekiel Kemboi won Kenya's first gold medal in track and field in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, eight years after winning at the Athens Olympics. The two-time world champion won his second Olympic title in 8 minutes, 18.56 seconds. European champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France took silver in 8:19.08 and African champion Abel Mutai of Kenya took bronze in 8:19.73. Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan won the women's triple jump gold medal. The 2011 world championship silver medalist took the lead with the third of her six attempts, setting a mark of 14.98 meters. Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia, the 2011 world championship bronze medalist, momentarily held the lead in the third round, but needed a jump of 14.80 on her final attempt to get the silver medal. Reigning world champion Olha Saladuha of Ukraine finished in third place with a jump of 14.79 on her last attempt. In the morning, Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia dodged rivals and rain drops on her way to winning the women's marathon gold. Drenched from head to toe, she soaked up the moment as she crossed the finish line, raising her hands high in the air to celebrate. Gelana navigated the wet streets in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 23.07 seconds to hold off Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya by five seconds. The previous mark was 2:23.14, set by Naoko Takahashi of Japan in Sydney in 2000. Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova of Russia captured the bronze in a race that began in heavy rain, saw the sun briefly come out and ended in another downpour. Britain enjoyed its greatest day of athletics Saturday as Mo Farah in the 10,000 meters, Greg Rutherford in the long jump and heptathlete Jessica Ennis delivered an extraordinary hat trick of Olympic gold medals on a truly unforgettable night. It was the first time Britain had won three athletics golds in one day and the occasion will live long in the memories of the 80,000 fans who played their own part in creating an atmosphere of spine-tingling intensity and astonishing noise. Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retained the Olympic women's 100 meters title in 10.75 seconds. American world champion Carmelita Jeter took silver in 10.78 and Veronica Campbell-Brown claimed bronze in 10.81. This event was reduced to something of an anti-climax coming so soon after Farah had drained the crowd of every drop of emotion. His perfectly executed 10,000 meters run earned the hugely popular Somalia-born 29-year-old Britain's first Olympic distance gold. A steadily-run race was exactly what he wanted, though everyone in the stadium was wary of the threat from Kenenisa Bekele, bidding for an unprecedented third 10,000m title. Farah was in complete control, however, and stamped his authority on the race at the bell as a remarkable rolling wall of noise brought him home in a time of 27 minutes 30.42 seconds. Fast-finishing Galen Rupp finished a surprise second for the United States's first medal in the event in 48 years, with Bekele's brother Tariku grabbing bronze. Rutherford's 8.21 leap gave him the early initiative that would not be enough for a medal, let alone gold, in most major competitions, but it would have done the job Saturday. Just to make sure, though, he improved it with a leap of 8.31 and nobody could get close, even though it was still the shortest leap to win gold in 40 years. Australia's Mitchell Watt grabbed a silver with a last jump of 8.16m with American Will Claye taking bronze on 8.12 American world champion Carmelita Jeter took silver in 10.78 and Veronica Campbell-Brown claimed bronze in 10.81. —Agencies
