ANOTHER Olympics, another slice of sporting history written by the truly incredible Usain Bolt.

By adding the 200m title to the 100m gold medal he claimed at the weekend, the world's most celebrated athlete last night became the first person in history to win both sprinting crowns at successive Olympic Games.

The world of track-and-field has seen nothing like him, and while London 2012 will be remembered for a myriad of reasons both at home and abroad, the greatest headlines have been written by Bolt, just as they were in Beijing four years ago.

Last night's triumph was a repeat of Sunday's 100m final, with Bolt in complete control throughout as he once again forced his compatriot Yohan Blake into the silver medal spot.

Bolt's winning time of 19.32sec was 13 hundredths of a second outside his own world record, and given that he slowed up slightly at the finish line to lift a finger to his lips, he could probably have pushed it close.

Blake, who finished 12 hundredths further back in 19.44sec, is a fantastic athlete in his own right – he is just unfortunate to be racing in the same era as the greatest sprinter of all time.

With Warren Weir claiming the bronze medal, last night's race produced a Jamaican 1-2-3, the first time ever that a country other than the United States has filled all three medal places in an Olympic sprint final.

“This is what I wanted and I got it,” said Bolt, who will attempt to win a sixth Olympic gold as part of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team that begins its campaign in the heats this evening. “After a rough season, I came out here and did it.

“I thought the world record was possible. I guess I was fast, but just not quite fit enough. I could feel my back strain a little bit, so all I did was keep my form. I'm very dedicated to my work, and London meant so much to me.”

Last night's final was supposed to be a test for Bolt, who had been beaten by Blake for the first time over 200m at the Jamaican trials, but if anything, it was an even more emphatic success than his 100m victory.

Unlike in the shorter sprint, the 25-year-old made a fantastic start, bursting out of the blocks and claiming the lead inside the opening 20m.

His performance around the bend was faultless, and while Blake briefly appeared to be closing with around 60m left, Bolt swiftly found another gear to power to the line.

For most people, that would have been enough of a show, but Bolt being Bolt, the fun had only just begun.

When it comes to the Jamaican, the celebration is every bit as important as the run, and after dropping to perform a series of press-ups, he embarked on a victory lap that saw him produce a succession of lightning bolt poses, kiss and cuddle various members of the crowd and even borrow a photographer's camera to snap shots of his supporters.

In a sporting world that has become increasingly anodyne and corporate, little wonder his exuberant personality makes him such a popular figure.

He was not the only superstar in action last night, though, as Kenya's David Rudisha became the first person to set a new track-and-field world record during these Games as he added the Olympic 800m title to the world crown he claimed in Daegu last year.

Powering through the opening lap in 49.28sec, Rudisha already had the race won as he opened up a ten-metre advantage on the back straight.

He could have eased up, but instead opted to stretch away further to finish in 1:40.91, a time that shaved a tenth of a second off his own previous world best.

Rudisha's dominance of his event is every bit as pronounced as Bolt's, and he now boasts seven of the ten fastest 800m times ever recorded.

The 23-year-old is coached by legendary Irishman Colm O'Connell, who travelled to Kenya as a missionary in 1976 and has subsequently been heavily responsible for the country's dominance of middle-distance running. Remarkably, Rudisha is O'Connell's fifth different Olympic champion.

Seven of last night's eight 800m finalists set either a new personal best or national record, so while Briton Andrew Osagie could only finish eighth, he could take a degree of satisfaction from his time of 1:43.77, which would have been good enough to win the previous three Olympic finals, and the fact he had contributed to surely the greatest 800m race of all time.

“My time would probably get medals at any other major championships, but that time of David's was incredible,” said Osagie. “I've come to the Olympics and run a personal best in the final but still come last, so there is lots of work to do. But this gives me great confidence.”

Lynsey Sharp's selection for the women's 800m was a controversial one, as she was handed an Olympic place ahead of more experienced rivals Marilyn Okoro, Jenny Meadows and Gemma Simpson even though she had not achieved the 'A' qualifying standard.

Head coach Charles van Commenee has hinted the 21-year-old was selected with half an eye on the 2016 Games in Rio, and it is probably just as well given that she could only finish seventh in her semi-final.