Olympics Rio 2016: Usain Bolt eases into 100m semi-final as bid for sporting immortality begins
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Updated 13/08/2016 at 17:07 GMT
Usain Bolt began his bid for a seventh gold medal in style after the Jamaican won his 100m heat in a time of 10.07 seconds.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt gestures before the Men's 100m
Image credit: AFP
All eyes were on the reigning 100m and 200m Olympic champion, and the fastest man in the world duly delivered, cruising through the penultimate heat at Rio’s Olympic Stadium.
The 29-year-old started slowly but recovered to finish ahead of Bahrain's Andrew Fisher, who also qualifies for the semi-finals which take place on Monday morning from 01:00 BST.
"It wasn't the best start, I feel kind of sluggish. I think it's the fact that it's the morning. I'm not usually running this early in the morning," Bolt told reporters. "Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel much better."
Great Britain's James Dasaolu also reached the semi-final as one of the fastest losers, having crossed the line in third, 0.06 seconds slower than Fisher's time of 10.12.
Bolt's tag as the ultimate star of these Games was confirmed when he was greeted by a rousing reception within the stadium.
The sprinter hardly seemed to sprint at all, with many suggesting the Jamaican was out for an afternoon jog...
Elsewhere in the heats, Bolt's nearest rival Justin Gatlin recorded a time on 10.01s to win his heat, while Bolt's compatriot Yohan Blake ran through in 10.11 to win Heat 6.
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