Bolt vs Gatlin: Rio Olympics awaits crowning of fastest man on planet

Super Saturday is followed by Sensational Sunday at the Olympics where Usain Bolt should transfix the sporting world when he explodes out of the 100 metres starting blocks.

The Jamaican's quest for a third successive triumph is one of the undoubted centrepieces of these Games.

But the final at 0125 GMT is by no means the only act in town on another day of heady competition in Rio.

The blistering speed test at the Olympic Stadium is part of the mouthwatering 22-gold medals served up for day nine of the 2016 Games.

Combination picture shows US Justin Gatlin (R) and Jamaica's Usain Bolt competing in the Men's 100m Round 1 during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 2016. (AFP)

In tennis, a memorable men's singles final is in prospect between Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro.

Scot Murray is seeking to become the first player to defend an Olympic singles crown.

At the Olympic golf course, watched on by the resident caimans, Murray's fellow Briton, Justin Rose, is the man to catch for the first Olympic golf gold medal since 1904.

But British Open winner Henrik Stenson lurks only one stroke adrift entering the final round.

At the Velodrome another Brit, Jason Kenny, is hoping to grab the headlines when he defends his London 2012 individual sprint title.

In the boxing ring the serious business begins with the men's light flyweight final where Yurberjen Martinez is vying to become the first Colombian to win Olympic boxing gold.

In his way is a Manny Pacquiao-inspired Uzbek fighter Hasanboy Dusmatov.

While the two pugilists pummel each other at Rio's gymnastics arena Britain's Max Whitlock bids to defend his 2012 pommel horse crown.

And Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura, the undisputed sovereigns of gymnastics in Brazil, are in the hunt for a third Games gold.

Nineteen-year-old Biles stars in the vault, and Japan's Uchimura on the floor.

In the uneven bars Russian Aliya Mustafina will battle with Americans Madison Kocian and Gabrielle Douglas, to hold her title.

There are also gold medals up for grabs in weightlifting, greco-roman wrestling, diving, sailing, shooting and fencing.

Day two of track and field action meanwhile gets underway with an event that takes roughly 850 times longer to run than the 100m - namely the women's marathon.

Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba is aiming to add this to her world title. Her main dangers include Kenya's Helah Kiprop, London Marathon winner Jemima Sumgong, Paris Marathon champion Visiline Jepkesho, and Bahrain's Kenya-born Eunice Kirwa.

Defending champion Kirani James and 2008 titleholder LaShawn Merritt clash in the men's 400m final, and 2012 winner Olga Rypakova and Caterine Ibarguen face off in the women's triple jump.

And so to sprinting's el gran senor, Usain Bolt.

With his mum and dad in town the Jamaican superstar sailed through Friday's 100m preliminaries as he launched his bid for the 'treble-treble' - winning 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold for three Olympics in a row.

In what is being billed as a Good v Evil battle, Bolt clashes with arch-rival Justin Gatlin, the fastest man this year.

100m heats

Bolt won his 100 metres heat after what he called a "sluggish" start on Saturday, but looked pained after the race as he prepared to fend off the challenge of Gatlin for the Olympic crown.

Bolt, who turns 30 on the final day of the Games, is aiming high in what he has said will be his final Olympics, bidding to continue his streak of gold in the men's 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, the unprecedented "triple-triple".

He qualified in a leisurely 10.07 seconds, picking up the pace after lumbering from the blocks and looking stiff in his warm-up.

"It wasn't the best start, I feel kind of sluggish. I think it's the fact that it's the morning. I'm not usually running this early in the morning," Bolt told reporters after the race which began at 12:42 p.m. local time in warm sunshine.

"Hopefully, tomorrow I'll feel much better," he added of Sunday's action when the semis and final take place late in the evening.

He batted back questions about his leg, saying he was "good".

Gatlin, 34, produced the fastest time of the morning, 10.01 as the 2004 champion seeks to become the oldest man to win a medal in the 100m and the first to do so after serving two doping bans.

"I am just staying focused, I went out there and executed my race in the first round and cruised to finish line," Gatlin said.

Asked if the race felt more special, given that it is likely to be his last Olympics, Gatlin replied: "Every Olympics is special but as you get older you understand the importance of running at Olympics."

Ben Youssef Metie, 29, of the Ivory Coast, notched the morning's second-fastest time of 10.03, edging U.S. hopeful Trayvon Bromell's 10.13, which was still fast enough to qualify.

Canada's Andre de Grasse, a 21-year-old who only took up running seriously three years ago after an early focus on basketball, ran 10.04.

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