Usain Bolt became the first man to retain both Olympic sprint titles as he led home a gold and green Jamaica clean sweep in the 200m.

Bolt matched Michael Johnson's then world-record time from the Atlanta Games of 19.32 seconds as he held off training partner Yohan Blake in silver and Warren Weir in bronze.

Blake had beaten Bolt at the Jamaican trials, his last race over the distance before London, but the double 100m champion ran a brilliant bend from lane seven to lead by a metre coming into the straight. lancing to his left he was aware of Blake closing in a fraction at 150m, but held his form to cross the line with a finger to his lips. "This is what I wanted and I got it. I'm very proud of myself," the 25-year-old told BBC Sport.

"After a rough season I came out here and did it. I thought the world record was possible. I guess I was fast but not fit enough.

"I could feel my back strain a little bit, so all I did was to keep my form. I'm very dedicated to my work and London meant so much to me."

Blake's 19.44 secs was a season's best, while 22-year-old Weir set a new personal best with 19.84 secs to complete the Jamaican party. But this was Bolt's race, and these have once again been Bolt's Games.

A month ago, his form questionable and his hamstrings and back giving him serious problems, there was genuine doubt whether the 25-year-old could retain one Olympic title here in London, let alone two. Bolt has made those misgivings seem laughable.

He now has five Olympic gold medals, the most decorated Jamaican Olympian of all time, and with the 4x100m still to come can make it six before he heads home to the embrace of an ecstatic nation.

On a warm, still summer evening perfect for sprinting, Bolt had clowned around as he waited to be called to his blocks, as ever a study in easy relaxation despite the magnitude of the occasion.

He flirted with the girl looking after his kit and then gave a regal wave before taking his rivals apart from the moment the gun sounded.

While there was no new mark on Thursday evening, this was the joint fourth fastest 200m in history - a display to rank among the best the event Bolt calls his own has ever seen.

Meanwhile, Usain Bolt declared himself "the greatest athlete" to have lived after sealing an Olympic sprint double. "I'm a living legend," he said, after becoming the first man to successfully defend both 100m and 200m titles.

Before Thursday's 200m final the Jamaican had suggested he could break his own world record of 19.19 seconds.
Afterwards, he admitted: "I was fast but I wasn't fit enough," before sounding an ominous warning: "I am not ready to retire. I love this sport."

Jamaica completed a clean sweep in the 200m, with Yohan Blake winning silver and Warren Weir bronze behind Bolt's 19.32 seconds. "We pushed each other and we're happy," Bolt said after the race.

Although he broke neither the World or Olympic records on this occasion, Bolt was full of joy and bravado in the post-sprint media conference, insisting he had left a permanent imprint on the sport.

"I'm now a living legend," Bolt added. "Now I am going to sit back, relax and think about what's next.
"I don't know what I really want to do after this, whether to run the 100 or 200 or try something else.

I need to find a goal that's going to motivate me to great things. The rest of the season I am just going to have fun because I did what I came here to do."

Bolt led his compatriot Blake, 22, from the starting blocks but slowed as he neared the finish line."I came off the corner, I could feel the strain on my back a little bit, so I was trying to keep my form," he said. "But I stopped running because I knew it wasn't going to be a world record.

"I really wanted to do it in the 200m, but I'm happy. I came here and I gave it my all and I'm proud of myself."