How Usain Bolt won both 100m and 200m gold in successive Olympics

That Usain Bolt is the greatest sprinter to have ever lived is perhaps beyond reproach. The Jamaican, known as much for his flamboyance as he was for his flaweless track performances, won accolades aplenty in his career. But, like the best showmen, Bolt saved his best for the big stages. He performed best when the lights shone brightest, as evidenced by his performances in the Olympics. And what’s more, he made athletics seem cool. Track and field events are often seen as niche sports around the world. In Bolt, they had a superstar with mass appeal that extended beyond the track.

Of course, none of his crossover fame would have happened without him winning big on the track. And today marks exactly 9 years since he added another feather to his illustrious cap.

We look back on the day Bolt became the first sprinter to win Olympic gold in the 100m and 200m events for two straight editions of the Games.

The background

Bolt was the undisputed favourite going into the London Olympics in 2012. He started the season with a leading 100 m time of 9.82 seconds in May.

He then beat Asafa Powell with runs of 9.76 seconds in Rome and 9.79 in the Diamond League at Oslo. However, it was at the Jamaican Athletics Championships that Bolt was hit with a surprise.

He lost to Yohan Blake in both the 200 m and then in the 100m at the event. What’s more, his younger compartriot and rival now set the leading times for the year.

With the twin threat of Powell and Blake now looming, there was at least some intrigue over whether or not Bolt could do the double.

Usain Bolt – twice a double winner

Yet at the Olympics, Bolt was the one who stood tall. He ran the 100m race in 9.63 seconds, improving on his own Olympic record in the process.

Bolt thus became only the second sprinter after Carl Lewis to win back-to-back gold medals in the 100m Olympics event.

Bolt followed this up with another flawless performance in the 200m event. He finished first with a time of 19.32 seconds. But it was not his win that had people talking.

Before crossing the finishing line, Bolt held up a finger to his lips, as if to silence his critics. When he crossed the finishing line, he did five push-ups – one for every Olympic gold medal he had won till that point.

And after the race, when being interviewed, he said simply of himself, “I’m now a legend. I’m also the greatest athlete to live.”

Hyperbole? Perhaps, but in time it would turn out to be spot on. He would go on to win gold in the 100m and 200m race at the 2016 Rio Olympics too.

He also won the 4 x 100m relay gold in 2008, 2012 and 2016. The last of those medals was stripped away because Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of a doping violation.

Yet even that did little to tarnish Bolt’s legacy. He was – and is – indeed, a legend.