The Bolt strikes

A hush fell over the Secret Garden yesterday evening, as guests waited with anticipation to find out who would prove to be the fastest man on earth in the final of the men’s 100m at London 2012.

It was a night not short on stars, with such sporting luminaries as British gold medalist Dani King, and British silver medalists Richard Chambers, Peter Chambers, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley, rubbing shoulders with the likes of socialite Otis Ferry and up-and-coming singer Charlotte O’Connor.

Nor was coverage of other events at the Olympic park short on thrills. Guests, having delighted in Andy Murray’s victory over Roger Federer earlier in the day, cheered Christine Ohuruogu as she won silver in the women’s 400m run.

However, all eyes in our garden terrace fell on the live broadcast from Stratford where, last night Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who holds the world record, took the 100m gold medal, while setting a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds. Fellow countryman Yohan Blake won silver, with a time of 9.75 seconds, while American Justin Gatlin received bronze, for his performance of 9.79 seconds.

Indeed, seven of the eight runners managed to complete the course in under 10 seconds, making this the fastest 100m in Olympic history.

Whether viewed from the stands in East London, or the salubrious surrounds of our exclusive Soho club, it was quite plain that Olympic lightning had struck twice, with Bolt blazing across the athletics track at even greater speeds than he had achieved in Beijing four years ago. The world’s fastest man, indeed.