Usain Bolt: petty London 2012 Olympics officials impose too many rules

Usain Bolt followed his stunning victory on the track on Sunday night by criticizing the pettiness of London 2012 officials. 

Bolt, who declared his intention to achieve legendary status by winning a third successive Olympic 100 metres final in Rio in 2016, said his normal routine had been disrupted by the myriad rules imposed by organisers of the Games in London.

He said: "There are a lot of rules, oh my God. You can't do anything. I was coming and wanted to bring my tablets in and they said I couldn't. I asked why. It is just a rule.

"I had my skipping rope in my bag and they said I can't bring it in. Why? It is just a rule. What if I need to take a rubber band inside to stretch? I can't take it inside because it is a rule.

"It is just very small rules that don't make any sense to me. (Before the 100m final) the guy was telling us to line up. We were about to race and we were being told to stand in a straight line. It is kind of weird."

Bolt went on to stress his admiration for Great Britain and said he had been enjoying life in the Olympic village. 

He said: "Great Britain is a wonderful place. They've done so well, I've been watching the cycling and the rowing, they've done so well. It's just a great Olympics, it's just a great place."

The Jamaican said he hoped to defend his title in Rio. "I'll be 30 but I hope I'll be there. This gold means I am one step closer to being a legend so I'm working toward that. That's just one step, I have the 200m to go so I'm looking forward to that."

Bolt came into these Olympics amid doubts over his fitness and paid tribute to the work of German doctor Hans Muller-Wohlfart.

He said: "My back was hurting me. I went to the doctor, I got my treatment. When it comes to the major championships it's all about business."

Yohan Blake took the silver in a personal-best of 9.75 sec and Bolt said his compatriot's challenge to his title had inspired his victory.

The 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, twice banned for failing drugs tests but cleared to compete in London, took the bronze in his fastest time of 9.79 sec.

Bolt said his rivalry with Blake, who took his World Championship title and beat him in the Jamaican trials, had spurred him on.

"I told Yohan Blake it might be different in the 200 metres but he's not going to take my main title," said Bolt. "Yohan gave me a wake-up call, he knocked on my door and said Usain, this is Olympic year. After that I woke up, got focused, got my head together."

Bolt's victory was not his fastest but it was his finest in competition, coming as he faced more pressure than at any time since Beijing. He arrived in London with doubts over his fitness — he declared himself only 95 per cent fit — and form, and Blake threatening his domination.

Any doubts were blown away as he underlined his dominance and status as the biggest name in world sport with an emphatic victory. In Beijing and Berlin, where he won the 2009 World Championships in the world record 9.59 sec, he led processions.

When the gun went last night he reacted faster than both Blake and Gatlin, and then trusted his superior speed through the latter half of the race. He said he had lingered in the blocks so as not to repeat the disaster of last year's World Championship, when he was disqualified for a false start.

"I was happy from when I went out in the first round and I felt I could do this," he said. "I was slightly worried about my start, I didn't want another false start, so I sat in the blocks a bit. That was the key, my coach said don't worry about the start, the strongest part of my race is the end, so don't worry about it."

Blake underlined his status as the pretender to Bolt's crown, but said it was an honour to finish second to his training partner. "He is the fastest man in the world and I've got a silver medal. What more can I ask for? To be the second-fastest man in the world behind Bolt is an honour."

Bolt paid tribute to the 22-year-old. "Yohan Blake works really hard, but when it comes to business I know what I need to do and I have a great talent," he said. "This was a major race, everybody was here, not like the World Championship. But he beat nearly everybody."

An emotional Gatlin said he had taken strength from those who had supported him despite his doping history, which would have seen him banned for life if he had not struck a deal with the US Anti-Doping. "I'm so glad to be part of history," he said.