Italys Jacobs wins 100m Tokyo Olympics final as Team GB star disqualified
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Lamont Marcell Jacobs is the Olympics 100m men's champion, winning a thrilling race in Tokyo.
With reigning champion Usain Bolt having retired since winning his third Olympics gold in the race in Rio, the door was left open.
Team GB star Zharnel Hughes was set to be involved in the final though was disqualified after a false start with Jacobs winning the race.
He finished ahead of Fred Kerley of the USA and Canadian Andre de Grasse with a time of 9.80seconds.
The race marked the first time since 2004 that the event took place without legendary world-record holder Bolt, who has covered the distance in a mind-boggling 9.58 seconds.
The times in Japan's capital were a long way off that, in respect of the distance, though the race was still a thriller.
De Grasse wins a second bronze having also finished third in Rio five years ago.
China's Su Bingtian was the first Asian man to reach the Olympic 100m final for 89 years while Jacobs was the first Italian to race it.
He set a personal best time in winning the race with the final having gone ahead without Trayvon Bromell, the world leader in 2021, after he failed to make it through the semi-finals.
Jacobs had never run under 10 seconds before this year, though his improvement has now seen him take home the gold.
Colin Jackson said: "Wow! What a race by Jacobs. We did put him on the roster because he was improving.
"He had a lot of races on the circuit and is getting confident in the company of the best sprinters in the world.
"But he certainly came to these games and he turned it on when it matters.
"That race was won from the gun, he had a great start and he just kept it going."
It was disappointment for Team GB star Hughes, who was disqualified after a false start.
Marlon Devonish said: "I'm speechless, I did not expect that. He [Jacobs] ran an outstanding race, hats off to him.
"I'm so disappointed for Zharnel Hughes, it was an opportunity."
While Hughes said: "When we went up on set, my left calf cramped up on me.
"I feel if I was in the final, I would have walked away with a medal, no doubt about it, no doubt.
"It was out of my control. Unfortunately my calf cramped. I can't describe it, it hurts a lot."
- Tokyo 2020 Olympics
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