Jamaican Usain Bolt delivered a breathtaking and audacious performance to shatter his own world record and win the Olympic 100 metres final in 9.69 yesterday.
Incredibly, the 21-year-old, who set the previous mark of 9.72 in May, found time to look around, grin to the crowd and thump his chest as he crossed the line two metres clear of Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago and American Walter Dix.
Former world record-holder Asafa Powell could only finish fifth and world champion Tyson Gay failed to make the final, in which the first six broke 10 seconds for the first time on a never-to-be forgotten night in the Bird's Nest.
Bolt, who prefers the 200 metres, is now odds-on to become the first man to complete the Olympic sprint double since Carl Lewis in 1984.
"I didn't even know I'd got the record till I did my victory lap," he said after the most dominant display since Ben Johnson's later-anulled victory in 1988.
There were also golds for Ukraine's Nataliia Dobrynska in the heptathlon, New Zealander Valerie Vili in the women's shot and Russian Valeriy Borchin in the men's 20km walk but the night belonged to Bolt.
The expected showdown between the three fastest men ever to run the distance failed to materialize when Gay finished fifth in his semi-final.
Bolt looked impressive winning his semi in 9.85 to lead six Caribbeans and two Americans into the final.
The eight lined up on a perfect night for sprinting, balmy and wind-free with what appeared a red-hot track beneath them and the only question mark was whether the 6ft 5ins (1.96cm) Bolt would get away cleanly.
He did and was leading after 25 metres. The Jamaican was in charge from then on and if he had run through the line would certainly have beaten Gay's wind-assisted 9.68 seconds as the fastest 100 metres ever.
In the heptathlon, Dobrynska surged through with personal bests in the long jump and javelin to give her a healthy cushion for the final 800 metres where she did just enough to hang on to gold by 33 points.
Lyudmila Blonska made it a Ukraine 1-2 with overnight leader Hyleas Fountain of the United States taking the bronze.
Vili added Olympic gold to her world title thanks to a personal best throw of 20.56 on her first attempt.
The morning's 20km walk started with the unexplained absence of world record holder Sergey Morozov and ended with compatriot Borchin surging through the morning sun for gold in 1 hour 19 minutes, 01 second.
Jefferson Perez of Ecuador, champion in 1996, took silver and announced his retirement with Australia's Jared Tallent getting the bronze.
In qualifying action it looks like another Jamaica vs US clash in the women's 100 metres with Kerron Stewart, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sherone Simpson and American trio Muna Lee, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams all looking good for today's final.
Hot favourite Pamela Jelimo looked ominous in qualifying for the women's 800 metres final and evergreen Maria Mutola, running in her sixth Olympics at the age of 35, also ran strongly.
Today's action kicks off with the women's marathon in the morning when the National Stadium may just have stopped shaking.
100m world record evolution
10.6 - Lippincott (US) 1912
10.4 - Paddock (US) 1921
10.3 - Williams (Canada) 1930
10.2 - Owens (US) 1936
10.1 - Williams (US) 1956
10.0 - Hary (W. Germany) 1960
9.95 - Hines (US) 1968
9.93 - Smith (US) 1983
9.92 - Lewis (US) 1988
9.90 - Burrell (US) 1991
9.86 - Lewis (US) 1991
9.85 - Burrell (US) 1994
9.84 - Bailey (Canada) 1996
9.79 - Greene (US) 1999
9.77 - Powell (Jamaica) 2005
9.74 - Powell 2007
9.72 - Bolt (Jamaica) 31.5.08
9.69 - Bolt (Jamaica) 16.8.08