‘Gimbo fired me up a lot’

Lamont Marcell Jacobs claimed a stunning upset victory in the Olympic men's 100 metres final on Sunday, becoming the first Italian to take the most coveted title in athletics and doing it in a European record time of 9.80 seconds.

"I've won an Olympic gold after Usain Bolt, it's unbelievable. Tonight, staring at the ceiling perhaps I will realise," said Jacobs.

"It's been my dream since I was a child," said Jacobs, who was born in the United States but moved to Europe with his Italian mother when he was a month old.

"I need a week or so to understand what has happened. Seeing (compatriot) Gimbo (Tamberi) win the high jump gold (10 minutes earlier) fired me up a lot,"

The 29-year-old Gianmarco Tamberi shared the gold with Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim after both had cleared 2.37 metres, only for both to fail at 2.39m. An Olympic official offered them a "jump-off" to decide the matter, but the two athletes decided to share the gold. Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus also cleared the 2.37 mark but he had more failed attempts, resulting in him taking the bronze medal.

Back to 100 metres event, Kerley, hoping to be the first American winner since Justin Gatlin in 2004, ran brilliantly for second, with De Grasse finishing strongly to snatch third ahead South African Akani Simbine, who clocked 9.93.

Kerley described it as a "a beautiful race". "I PB'd and get a silver medal. I am blessed to be at the biggest stage of my career," he said.

In the absence of Bolt, who retired in 2017 after a hat-trick of titles, it was always going to be an open race, but it became all the more so after world champion Christian Coleman was banned for an anti-doping violation and American Trayvon Bromell, the world lead and pre-race favourite, failed to make the final.

With former world champion Yohan Blake also falling at the semi-final stage, it was the first time since 2000 that no Jamaican made the final - 24 hours after the country had a completed clean sweep in the women's event.

Su Bingtian won his semi-final in an Asian record 9.83 but was never in the mix and finished sixth in 9.98, behind another American Ronnie Baker.

In truly global style the final featured athletes from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.