It was over in a flash. A Bolt of thunder followed by lightning on the track. Olympia was on fire. A legacy was sealed. No 100 metre champion has kept to speed like Usain Bolt, who remains the greatest even as many smote his ability to go for gold in a bid to write him off the starting blocks.

London 2012 was the crowning glory for this Jamaican Jewel after his Beijing conquest in 2008. Only American Carl Lewis has done it twice like him, but the Jamaican is faster, which puts him at the head of the racing pack.

On Sunday night, the world again cast its doubting eyes on the wiry Jamaican. Compatriot Yohan Blake, the world champion, had beaten him twice in recent weeks. Dope-tainted American Justin Gatlin was pushing hard to shed his scarred image with a clean run after four years. Compatriot Asafa Powell was another contender. But when the gun went off, they were left to dream as the champion set the pace for victory in the second fastest dash ever and an Olympic record.

His legs had done the talking and the doubters had very little resistance to offer on a night when speed ruled with seven out of eight runners going below 10 seconds. Though it looked easy for the Jamaican at the finish, he confessed he didn’t have a great start. But his reaction time was good and, as he strained into the ‘drive’ to pull away, Bolt was back in business. The champion gave it all he got in the ‘end’ to put at rest speculation about his staying power. He proved to his rivals that he is the man you cannot hope to beat on the big stage four years after he first made headlines as a 21-year old breaking the world record in 9.69 seconds. The Jamaican champion later brought it down to 9.58 seconds.

Jamaica’s carnival calls for some celebration as America’s stars in the sprints appear to be on the decline. Gatlin and Gay may well be history as the Caribbean calypso takes over the world. London will remember Bolt’s run for a long time to come. And what’s next for Usain Bolt — the greatest 100 metres champion and a legend rolled into one. The world may not be enough for his exploits.