The Jamaican sprint king ? who won three Olympic gold medals in Beijing four years ago ? faced stiff competition from compatriot Yohan Blake and Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay, after all four had set fast times during the semi-finals.
After a slightly sluggish start, Bolt surged through the field and powered across the line, with Blake winning silver and Gatlin claiming bronze.
After the race, Bolt was full of praise for the atmosphere inside London?s Olympic Stadium.
“It was wonderful,? he said. ?I knew it was going to be like this. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind it was going to be like this.”
Bolt?s Jamaican team-mate Asafa Powell pulled up injured during the race, finishing in 11.99secs, but the other seven runners all broke 10 seconds, making it the fastest race in Olympic history.