Nuts & bolts of 100 meters

Chennai: There is something raw and unfussy about the 100m. All one has to do is blast off from the blocks upon hearing the crack of the starting gun and run in a straight line for 100m. The rules of the event are so simple that they need no explaining at all. In terms of prestige, however, the shortest track event on the Olympic programme towers above everything else. Among the 306 gold medals on offer at Rio, nothing is more precious than the one presented to the men’s champion.

One thing we can’t fail to notice about an Olympic 100m final these days is its all-black cast. Just when it appeared that the 100m was losing its sheen in the new millennium, an ebullient champion from Jamaica emerged in 2008 to rewrite the rules of the game. Athletics hadn’t seen an entertainer like Usain St Leo Bolt. The Jamaican’s gold medal in 9.69 seconds in 2008 was a seminal moment in the annals of the sport. He knew how to run. More importantly, he knew how to put on a show.

Standing between Bolt and immortality is Justin Gatlin, the American with a gold medal from 2004 and a shady past. Having served two dope bans, Gatlin is into the fight of his life to shake off the “demon” image. He heads into Rio with the world’s leading time of 9.80 seconds this year. At 34, Gatlin has a chance to become the oldest 100m Olympic champion. But his fate is in Bolt’s hands. The Jamaican can end all debate about the greatest athlete in the world if he goes on to complete triple treble at Rio. History beckons him.