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Jamaica celebrates Usain Bolt's golden dash

Dominant sprinters start Jamaica's big party.

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Confirmation of Usain Bolt's status both as the fastest man in the world and the greatest sprinter in history was greeted jubilantly in Sherwood Content, the small farming community in which he grew up in Jamaica.

From across northern Jamaica in St James, however, there was a defiant challenge from the father of his biggest rival, Yohan Blake, who claimed that his son would exact revenge for Bolt's 100-metres gold in Thursday's 200m final. "That will be his race," Shirley Blake said.

An estimated global audience of two billion briefly paused for Sunday's 100m final but it was in Jamaica, the home of both the gold and silver medallists, where the celebrations were most ecstatic. With the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence yesterday, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price winning the women's 100m on Saturday, celebrations are expected to continue all week. "I am on top of the world," Bolt's aunt, Lillian Bolt-Smith, said.

She was joined on Sunday night in Sherwood Content by friends and other relatives of Bolt, with cheers ringing out across the town when he crossed the line in 9.63sec. Bolt's time was an Olympic record and also the second-fastest time in history.

Bolt certainly looked close to his best form on Sunday, particularly as his winning run was into a significant headwind of +1.5m. Blake did equal his own personal best in claiming a silver medal but the gap between the two Jamaicans was still proportionally huge at more than 0.1sec.

Celebrations for Bolt spread from Sherwood Content down to Jamaica's northern coast as a huge impromptu motorcade of cheering fans snaked 10 miles through the green hills of Trelawny Parish to Falmouth.

In the neighbouring parish of St James, Blake's family spoke of their pride at his achievement. "I am very proud of him," Shirley Blake said. "He did us and Jamaica well. It's a great achievement considering that he is going to the Olympics for the very first time."

Blake's father was among a group of family members and friends who watched the race on TV at their Bogue Hill residence, with sister Danietta also praying for her brother.

In Britain, the BBC revealed that 20 million viewers had watched Bolt's historic fourth Olympic gold medal, with celebrations also continuing long into the night in London at Jamaica House in the O? Arena.

"We have been a nation for 50 years and we have made a mark on the world," said Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, Jamaica's High Commissioner to Britain, "not just in athletics - we have made a mark with our culture, music, street fashion."

Bolt and Blake will have a third chance to win medals on Saturday when Jamaica will be favourites to win gold in the men's 4x100m relay.

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