Everything stood still. Even the lottery draw in Jamaica was delayed, but Usain Bolt hit the jackpot last night, continuing his dominance in the sprints.

He entered the Olympic Stadium track to Earth-moving screams and with arms spread wide, quite like the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city. He left it in very much the same way that he arrived: on top.

Usain Bolt is the first man to win three Olympic 100m gold medals and now takes his tally to seven, with Jamaica improving to two gold and a bronze after three days of track-and-field action at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

"I came here to show the world again that I am the best, and this is a good start," said Bolt, arguably the greatest sporting icon in the world after boxing legend Mohammad Ali.

Justin Gatlin had to settle for the silver medal. If he keeps collecting silver at this rate, his only rival will be Judas Iscariot himself. Young Canadian Andre de Grasse took the bronze with 9.91 seconds.

Bolt, in golden spikes as bright as his legend, was left with all the work to do at the halfway stage. Gatlin was gone. Like a bat out of hell, he left the blocks in quite a rush, pushing the Jamaican to chase him down, with Bolt even having time to look across at his nemesis before crossing the line.

The 29-year-old Bolt galloped away in celebration, basking in the adulation of the stadium and even taking selfies with fans during his lap of honour.

The victory left Bolt standing alone in the 120-year history of sprinting in the modern Olympic games.

It also leaves Bolt on track to complete an incredible "triple-triple" of clinching 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles for a third consecutive Olympics.

"Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal," Bolt added.

But for his dope-tainted American rival Gatlin it was again a job that left him with two things to do, get booed and lose. He accomplished both. Gatlin, who had been booed by the Rio crowd as he was introduced, however put up a brave face after his defeat -- the eighth out of nine meetings with Bolt.