Watch Usain Bolt prove he's still the world's fastest man in this insane photo finish

Usain Bolt
(Image credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt first grabbed the public's attention with his incredible speed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But the world record holder in both the 100- and 200-meter races has fallen out of the spotlight in the last couple of years. That's because American sprinter Justin Gatlin came back from a ban to become the sport's new dominant force.

Back in Beijing on Sunday at the World Championships, Bolt squared off with his rival in the 100-meter event, and the phenoms did not disappoint.

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Bolt came from behind to edge the favored Gatlin — by one-hundredth of a second. It's worth noting his 9.79 second gold medal finish is a far cry from his 9.58 second world record, but we can all forgive his sluggishness just this once.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.