Usain Bolt said he was "one step closer to being a legend" after defending his title as the world's fastest man in the 100m Olympic final.
The Olympic Stadium went into meltdown last night as the Jamaican claimed his fourth gold medal.
The Jamaican was clocked at 9.63 seconds, beating the Olympic record he had set four years ago and making it the second fastest time in history behind his own world record of 9.58 seconds.
Minutes earlier the crowd in the Olympic Stadium roared for a truly local hero as Britain's Christine Ohuruogu took silver in the women's 400m.
But the spectators were on the edge of their seats as the moment they had all been waiting for arrived and the fastest men on the planet went head to head.
Bolt admitted that to prepare for the race he had eaten his favourite fare of chicken nuggets .
He told reporters: "I've had a few nuggets – I won't lie.
"For breakfast today I had some plantains, hash browns, some fruit, a wrap from McDonald's with chicken in it – and vegetables so it was healthy, don't judge me."
He added: "There were a lot of people doubting me, it was great to come out and show I am still number one, I am still the best.
"This gold means I am one step closer to being a legend so I'm working toward that.
"That's just one step, I have the 200m to go so I'm looking forward to that."
The only other contenders for his crown had been fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake, his training partner and current world 100m champion, and Tyson Gay from the US, who is only the second person after Bolt to run under 9.7 seconds.
The pair came in second and fourth place respectively, with 2004 champion Justin Gatlin from the US taking bronze.
As the 100m finalists were introduced ahead of the race, the stands in the stadium became a flurry of flashes as fans captured the moment on camera.
And they saved the biggest cheer for Bolt.
Among those in the crowd were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who joined in a standing ovation as Bolt carried out a victory lap of the arena with his arms held aloft.
The 25-year-old described the atmosphere in the 80,000 capacity stadium as "wonderful".
He added: "I knew it was going to be like this.
"There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was going to be loud and it was going to be great and you can feel that energy."
It wasn't all cheering though. A man remained in custody today after a bottle was thrown on to the track at the start of the men's 100m final.
A police spokesman said a man had been heard shouting abuse and was then seen throwing a bottle before the race.
Speaking after the race, US sprinter Justin Gatlin said: "It was a little distraction and I didn't know what it was.
"But when you're in those blocks and the whole stadium's quiet you can hear a pin drop."
Bolt told reporters he had been unaware of the incident.
Earlier Britain's Christine Ohuruogu was unable to complete an Olympic gold double when she took silver in the women's 400m
Born to Nigerian parents in Newham, east London, the 28-year-old was raised less than a mile from the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Her main rival, the US's Sanya Richards-Ross, took gold but Ohuruogu came from nowhere to put in a powerful late charge to take second place.
She looked exhausted but elated as she basked in the crowd's applause.
She told cheering spectators that she should feel proud of herself despite failing to defend her 400m Olympic title.
"The realisation hit me when I crossed the line that I had lost my title, but the crowd has really uplighted me," she said, after collecting her silver medal.
"I think I got a bit spoiled by keeping on winning gold medals. You only want to win gold but it has been a really tough few years."
The runner, who won gold in the same event in Beijing, described competing in a Games on her own doorstep as a dream come true.
Speaking before the race, she said: "I would never have thought, growing up, that something as huge as this could come here and change the area forever."
Ohuruogu, one of eight siblings, trained with the Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club alongside another star of the 2012 Games – Mo Farah, who yesterday won gold in spectacular style in the men's 10,000m.
Tim Mundle, former senior ladies team manager at Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club, has worked with Ohuruogu since she was 18.
He said: "She had been struggling for form since Beijing but we weren't worried – you can see from the way she runs that she is full of confidence.
"I'm delighted for her."
He added that the Games had been fantastic for the club, with Ohuruogu and Farah taking medals and other athletes competing in the long jump and men's 400m.
"We are so proud" he added.
"To have so much success in a Games in our own neighbourhood is the kind of thing you can only dream of."
He recalled Ohuruogu's first day at the club: "She was a netball player when she arrived but she developed a real love of athletics and has blossomed ever since."
James Harrison, 29, from Greenwich, was in the stadium to watch her race.
He said: "I think the Games have captured the country's imagination.
"This is the first event I've attended so it was great to be able to cheer on a local girl. She did us proud."
Ohuruogu had clocked a season's best of 49.70 seconds but it was not enough to beat her long-time rival Sanya Richards-Ross of the US, who ran 49.55 seconds.
Dee Dee Trotter of the US came third in a season's best of 49.75 seconds.
Ohuruogu said: "I thought I was going to get her, but then I started tightening up and I just knew that it was not going to work.
"I could feel my shoulders lifting up and my back was arching and then I thought, 'No it is not going to happen'."