Athletics roundup: Bolt keeps alive triple-triple dream before adoring Rio crowd

Usain Bolt secured a unique place in history and kept alive his hopes of an unprecedented triple-triple in an excitement-charged day of athletics at the Rio Olympics on Sunday.

The Jamaican won the Olympic 100m final for a third straight time, capping off a day that also included a world record in the men's 400m final from South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk.

Kenya's Jemima Sumgong and Colombia's Caterine Ibarguen were others to win gold medals, the former in the women's marathon and the latter in the women's triple jump.

But it was Bolt who grabbed the limelight in front an adoring crowd at the Olympic Stadium.

The 29-year-old became the first man to win three successive Olympic gold medals in the blue riband event, clocking 9.81 seconds to beat rival Justin Gatlin by eight hundredths of a second. Canada's Andre de Grasse took bronze in 9.91.

Bolt's fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake was fourth in 9.93 and Akani Simbine was fifth in 9.94.

It was the seventh Olympic gold medal of Bolt's career as he confirmed his status as the greatest sprinter in history.

The result kept intact Bolt's hopes of winning three successive Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

He enjoyed overwhelming support from the near-capacity crowd while his long-time rival Gatlin was roundly jeered.

Bolt beat Gatlin by one-hundredth of a second at the world championships in Beijing last year.

The 34-year-old American won the 100m gold medal at the Athens 2004 Games but later served a four-year ban for doping.

Van Niekerk smashed the world record as he clinched the gold medal in the men's 400m. The 24-year-old finished in 43.03 seconds, beating the previous record held by Michael Johnson of the US by 15 hundredths of a second.

Grenada's Kirani James grabbed silver in 43.76 seconds with the USA's Lashawn Merritt taking bronze in 43.85.

Johnson's mark had been one of the longest standing records in athletics, having stood since August 1999.

Ibarguen, 32, grabbed Colombia's second gold medal of the Rio Olympics, twice clearing 15 meters with a best jump of 15.17m.

Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas took silver with 14.98m while Kazakhstan's Olga Rypakova, the gold medallist at the London 2012 Games, pocketed bronze with 14.74m.

Ibarguen was the gold medal favorite after winning the past two world championship titles. She also took silver in London four years ago.

Earlier on Sunday, Sumgong claimed Kenya's first gold medal of these Games by winning the women's marathon in two hours 24 minutes and four seconds.

The 31-year-old beat Bahrain's Eunice Kirwa by nine seconds, with Ethiopian world champion Mare Dibaba having to settle for bronze in 2:24.30.

The three medallists stayed together until the final 2km when Dibaba dropped off the pace in the warm conditions. Sumgong then pulled away from Kenya-born Kirwa in the final kilometer.

"I was never worried that I'd lose this," said Sumgong. "At 40km I knew the gold was mine. At 35km I noticed that my other two team-mates had dropped off and that gave me the motivation to carry on.

"At 40km I saw there were three of us but I knew whatever happened I couldn't lose the gold and then I knew I was on the way to history."

Ethiopia's Tigist Tufa, who was favorite to win the race, pulled out before the halfway point.

It was Kenya's first victory in the Olympic women's marathon following three straight silver medals. Enditem