Jamaican Usain Bolt blitzed to victory in the men’s 100 metres Olympic sprint on Sunday, banishing doubts that he was still the fastest man on Earth.

A packed crowd of 80,000 at the main stadium roared the runners home as Bolt comfortably eclipsed training partner and compatriot Yohan Blake, who many considered his main rival going into the race.

There were more cheers as he pointed to the sky in his trademark “lightning bolt” style, and basked in adulation during a slow jog around the edge of the track draped in the Jamaican flag.

The win was a perfect birthday gift for his country on the eve of its 50th anniversary of independence from Britain, and will trigger wild celebrations back home.

Compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce got the Jamaican party started on Saturday, retaining her 100-metre women’s title.

The biggest race of the Games capped off a thrilling weekend during which host nation Britain scored eight golds and fuelled a national wave of excitement at heroics on the tennis court, around the cycling velodrome, on the water and in the athletics

Olympics: Man held after bottle thrown on to 100m track

A man has been arrested after a bottle was thrown on to the track seconds before the start of the men’s 100m final at the Olympic Stadium.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a man had been heard shouting abuse and was then seen throwing a bottle. It landed behind the sprinters.

US athlete Justin Gatlin, who won bronze, said the bottle had been a “little distraction”.

Nobody was injured and the event was not disrupted, police said.

Speaking after the race, won by Jamaican Usain Bolt, Gatlin said: “I didn’t know what it was, but when you’re in those blocks and the whole stadium’s quiet you can hear a pin drop.”

Gatlin said the incident had not affected the race.

“You just have to block it out and go out there and do what you got to do. You can’t complain about that, the race went on and it was a great race.”

The suspect is being held in police custody at an east London police station on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

Bolt told reporters he had been unaware of the incident.

He added: “No, I keep hearing that. I don’t know who would have done that.”

Fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, who came second, said: “I was so focused I didn’t see anything. I was so focused on just running to the line.”

Dutch judo bronze medallist Edith Bosch claimed on Twitter that she had “beaten” the person who had thrown the bottle.

She said: “A drunken spectator threw a bottle onto the track! I HAVE BEATEN HIM …. unbelievable.”