BEIJING, August 16, 2008 (AFP) - Usain Bolt broke the men's 100 metres world record here on Saturday timing 9.69 seconds as he clinched the Olympic Games gold.

The 21-year-old Jamaican broke his old mark of 9.72sec set in New York on May 31 this year.

Bolt, who is the first Jamaican to win the Olympic crown, could have timed even better had he not eased up well before the line and looked to the crowd holding out his hands in celebration.

'He could have run faster if he had wanted to,' commented compatriot and former world record holder Asafa Powell, who could only finish fifth.