Games welcome Bolt, say goodbye to Phelps & Bolt wins heat in 10.08 secs

Usain Bolt gets off to a very slow start, eases ahead of the field and jogs over the line first in 10.08 seconds. Afterwards, he admits he stumbled a bit at the start, but he looks happy enough. “I’m glad it happened today,” he says. Daniel Bailey of Antigua & Barbuda comes second in 10.12 and James Dasaolu of Great Britain is third in 10.13, a season’s best, to take their places in the semi-finals.

But Ryan Bailey shows a bi threat for super Jamaicans  of the USA storms to victory in heat three of the men’s 100m in 9.88 seconds. This track is so fast I think we are going to see world records smashed all over the shop. Ben Meite of Ivory Coast and Justyn Warner of Canada are second and third respectively.

Justin Gatlin after winning his heat in 9.97 seconds: ”The performance was good. The track is super-fast. I just want to go out there and focus on my lane and give the spectators something to see.”

Adam Gemili gets off to a brilliant start in heat five, is overtaken by Jamaica’sAsafa Powell, but holds on for a superb second place to book his place in the semi-finals. Powell’s time is 10.04 secs, Gemili’s is 10.11.

World champion Yohan Blake looks in complete control as he wins his heat in 10 seconds flat. Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian gets an amazing start but finishes third, with Ryota Yamagata of Japan pipping him for second.

And British With the wind behind him Dwain Chambers absolutely flies over the line from lane eight to win in 10.02 seconds, the fastest time by a British sprinter this year. St Kitts & Nevis favourite Kim Collins did not start the race after he reportedly breached team rules by staying outside the Olympic village.

London 2012 Olympics News: Britain’s Jessica Ennis surged ever closer to Olympic gold in the heptathlon

Jessica Ennis began day two with a lead of 184 points after personal bests in the 100m hurdles and 200m, and extended her advantage over Lithuania’s Austra Skujyte to 258 points.

Jessica Ennis has struggled with her run-up this season, committing seven fouls in 12 attempts during two competitions earlier this summer, and managed just 5.95m with her first attempt. 

However, the 26-year-old then hit the board perfectly on her second to soar out to 6.40m, just 11cm down on her personal best, and there was better still to come in the final round as another capacity 80,000 crowd roared the former world champion down the runway and out to 6.48m for 1,001 points.

World champion Tatyana Chernova was the only athlete to jump further than Ennis, a leap of 6.54m moving her up from ninth to third and 290 points behind Ennis, but reigning Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska’s challenge is over after two fouls and a last aborted attempt of 3.70m dropped her to 33rd.

Ennis began her quest for Olympic gold on a tidal wave of love.

The heptathlon javelin competition is over, with Ennis posting the 10th longest throw. Lithuania’s Austra Skujta has closed the gap slightly in the overall standings but this really is all but in the bag for Ennis with just tonight’s 800m to come.

Ennis has 5971 points, Skujte is second on 5,783 points, Lyudmyla Yospenko third on 5,701 and Tatyana Chernova has dropped to sixth. Katarina Johnson-Thompson is 16th and Louise Hazel is 30th.