'Lightning Bolt' steals the show from Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay who are left in tears after coming in third and fourth

 

• Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt defends his sprint title by setting an Olympic record time at London 2012
• American Justin Gatlin, who served a four-year ban for doping, took the bronze in 9.79 seconds
• Fellow American Tyson Gay, whose medical problems left him with less training than the other competitors, placed a disappointing fourth

Tyson Gay was so choked up, he couldn't speak. Justin Gatlin was so happy he struggled to find the right words.
Once again, Gay walked away empty-handed from the Olympics when he finished fourth in the 100-meter final that was dominated by Usain Bolt on Sunday night.
'I tried, man,' Gay said as tears streamed down his face. 'I tried my best.'
With Gatlin, it was never about effort, only whether he would get another chance. He made the most of it, chasing Bolt and his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake to the wire, before winding up with the bronze.

Champion again: Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win gold in the men's 100-metre final in the Olympic Stadium in London

Third and fourth: Justin Gatlin (left) and Tyson Gay (right) pause after realizing their places in the historic race

Trying to catch him: Justin Gatlin said that while he is still happy about the fact that he made the top three, he is understandably disappointed by the fact he did not take home the title

Eight years ago, Gatlin was on top of the sprint world after winning gold in Athens. But he tested positive for excessive testosterone in 2006, leading to a four-year ban that prevented him from defending his title in Beijing.
At 30, Gatlin wasn't sure he would be in this position again.

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Sure, he envisioned a comeback, but never anything quite like this. He blazed out of the blocks on Sunday, picked up steam midway through the race and held off Gay - along with Ryan Bailey - to take third in a personal-best time of 9.79 seconds. He needed that, too, because Gay finished 0.01 seconds behind.
'It just feels good to be back,' Gatlin said. 'I'm here - another eight years later. My road and my journey coming back - I've been through a lot.
As for which medal means more, well, that's hard to say.