Usain Bolt won the men’s 100 metres at three consecutive Summer Olympics from 2008 to 2016.
Bolt first won the Olympic 100 metres at Beijing 2008, becoming the event’s world-famous champion after setting a world record of 9.69 seconds in the final. He successfully defended the title at London 2012 and Rio 2016, making him the first athlete to win the Olympic men’s 100 metres three times.
His Beijing performance was especially memorable because he eased up before the finish line while celebrating. Despite that, the time was an Olympic record at the time. Bolt’s 2012 final was won in 9.63 seconds, and he won the 2016 final in 9.81 seconds.
Carl Lewis also won the Olympic 100 metres twice, in 1984 and 1988, but he did not win three consecutive titles. Bolt’s Olympic sprint achievement formed part of a broader dominance that included the 200 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay, although Jamaica’s 2008 relay medal was later stripped after a teammate’s doping violation.