Brilliant Bolt Scorches To 100m Gold Medal

LONDON (Reuters) - Usain Bolt achieved his aim of becoming a sporting legend on Sunday as he scorched to the second-fastest 100 meters ever seen, a superb 9.63 seconds, to become the first man to win back to back Olympic titles on the track.

The Jamaican's 9.58-second run to win the 2009 world title is the only quicker time and Sunday's brilliant display silenced the doubters who predicted his hamstring problems would open the door for his rivals in one of the most eagerly-anticipated races in history.

World champion Yohan Blake made it a Jamaican 1-2 when he won silver in 9.75 seconds and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the United states grabbed bronze in 9.79 as the first seven men all broke 10 seconds. Asafa Powell pulled up with a groin injury near the end to ruin a potential Jamaican sweep.

Blake's time equaled his personal best and Gatlin beat his. Tyson Gay finished fourth in a season's best 9.80 seconds with fellow American Ryan Bailey fifth in an equal PB of 9.88.

But the night was all about Bolt, who has said repeatedly that he needed back-to-back titles to cement his place among the sport's "legends".

He now stands alongside Carl Lewis as the only men with two 100 meters golds, though the American's second in 1988 came only after race winner Ben Johnson was disqualified for doping.

Having been disqualified for a false start in last year's world championships final Bolt was never going to risk a flying getaway but he was into his running quickly and up with his key rivals within a few meters.

Read More: Bolt sprints into the record books

Opening Ceremony London 2012 Celebrated by Google Doodle

Opening ceremony London 2012 is marked by Friday's Google doodle. The doodle shows 5 athletes - incidentally also the number of rings in the Olympic logo - playing different Olympic sports.

The stage is set and the athletes are primed as the seven-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympics reaches its finale with Friday's much-anticipated opening ceremony.

The three-hour spectacle, expected to be watched by a global television audience of up to one billion, will mark the beginning of 17 days of athletic endeavor which will create heroes, shatter dreams and fire national pride.But London is preparing for its own intense examination as questions over the city's creaking transport system and the ever-present security threat hang over the event, ready to overshadow on-track achievements.

Sneak previews of the £27 million ($42 million, 35 million euros) opening ceremony - filmed at Wednesday's final rehearsal - suggest it will be a grand but quirky production, reflecting the philosophy of director Danny Boyle.The Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner has promised to create a "picture of us as a nation" and revealed the eccentric show will feature live sheep and dancing surgeons from the National Health Service.

Read More: NDTV News..

The Costliest Olympic Games - London

The Costliest Olympic Games - London

Here's a look at some financial successes and failures of past Olympic Games and how they compare to the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Images: Getty)

The 2012 Olympics will soon hit London, but how much are the Olympics actually going to cost?

The last time London hosted the Olympics was in 1948. At the time, the UK was struggling in the aftermath of World War II, and money was so tight that participants brought their own towels. Food was shipped in from abroad, and the athletes slept in army barracks and college dormitories.

Now, 64 years later and preparing to host the Olympics again, the U.K. is firmly in the grip of an economic recession. It does not seem that similar austerity measures have been implemented this time around. What will the Olympics cost the U.K. this summer? Is the U.K. getting a good deal compared to previous Olympic Games?

In Poll Position

If the London Olympics cost this much, they still won't be the most expensive in Olympic history. The most expensive Olympics in history were the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Costing a staggering US$40 billion, the Games could have been a financial nightmare for China. Amazingly, China was not left with debt after the event. Most of this US$40 billion was invested in permanent infrastructure that has been used since.

Read More: Yahoo News..