Usain Bolt took sprinting into a new stratosphere here at the Olympic Games today with an astonishing 100m world record of 9.69.

The amazing Jamaican, who was running only his 11th ever race at the distance, smashed his own world record by 0.03 - and this is just the beginning.

With 20m left, he was turning to the rest of the field, waving his hands and starting to celebrate. Sprinting has never seen a character like this 21-year-old.

The sport knew it would be fast because Bolt has been setting standards with his performances all summer. He broke the world record that countryman Asafa Powell had set last year of 9.74 when he ran in New York in May, but everything was building up to the Games.

Expert View

Why didn't they ring me up before they decided to hold the Olympic Games in Beijing in August? Don't do it, I'd have said

Simon Barnes

• More

• Post a comment

Olympics updates direct to your mobile

Put the Beijing Games in your pocket

Pinsent's message for his Olympic heirs

Gold medallist is confident the coxless four following in his wake will emerge as Olympic champions on Saturday

• Ben Ainslie’s shot at hat-trick delayed by bad weather

• Time to invest emotions in imperfect Paula Radcliffe

• Peter Cousins missed three drug tests, but made the Games

BACKGROUND

• Emms and Robertson bow out amid sea of tears

• Saunders second to punch in shock defeat

• Adlington takes aim at Evans' record

• Ohuruogu is lucky to be here, says rival

Related Links

• How day eight unfolded

• Adlington takes second gold and world record

It remains amazing that the 100m is not even his favourite distance. He runs in the 200m next week, and there is no question that Michael Johnson’s world record of 19.32 for that is under threat.

It was set to be the clash of the big three stars - Bolt, Powell and American world champion Tyson Gay. But it never happened.

Gay failed to progress through from the semi-final while from the gun, Powell was never himself.

Bolt did not even look like he had made a good start. But by 50m his enormous frame, 6ft, 5ins, came marauding through and then the seemingly-impossible started to happen.

Bolt may even have slowed down as the rest of the field were at full pelt.

Richard Thompson, of Trinidad, was second in 9.89 with Walter Dix third in 9.91. Powell was fifth in 9.95.

Bolt then set off on his lap of honour - and you just have to wonder how low the record will go when he decides to run the full 100m without any fun and games before the line.