Usain Bolt stormed to a successful defense of his Olympic 100m crown in the second-fastest time ever recorded as the Jamaican superstar confirmed his status as the greatest sprinter of all time.

Bolt made a hesitant start but left the field for dead from 60 meters to win by two meters (yards) in 9.63sec, slower only than his world record of 9.58sec set in 2009.

Andy Murray put his hands over his face when it was over, then crouched down as Center Court roared. He quickly popped back up and went to the net to shake Roger Federer's hand.

One month after anguish at Wimbledon, it was elation in the Olympics — all in the same spot.

Barcelona and France left-back Eric Abidal, who is currently recovering from liver transplant surgery in April, has set his sights on a return to action in December, he told Catalan TV3 on Saturday night.

"I have started working in the gym and I feel good," he said after Barcelona's friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris, which the Catalan club won 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Roger Federer has "been around the block," as he puts it. He knows how to handle the big moments, playing for major titles, for the record books, for an exalted place in tennis history.

Sunday's Olympic gold medal singles match is something new even for him.

Michael Phelps walks away from the greatest Olympic career in history with no regrets, summing up a journey that yielded 18 gold medals in the simplest of terms: "I did it."

"Through the ups and downs, I have achieved everything I ever wanted to do," said Phelps, who has often voiced hopes that his legacy would be not just about medals, but about changing the face of swimming.

Germany finished the Olympics’ eight-day swimming program on Saturday without an Olympic medal for the first time in 80 years with changes promised ahead of Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The German team will leave London without a single swimming podium placing for the first time since 1932 as ex-champion Britta Steffen missed bronze by seven hundredths of a second in the 50m freestyle final.

Great Britain won six gold medals and a silver on Saturday, capped by triumphs for poster girl Jessica Ennis and runner Mo Farah to make it their most successful day at a Games for 104 years.

The host nation could barely believe its luck as the rowers started the gold rush in the men's four and the women's lightweight double sculls.

Serena Williams clinched her first Olympic singles gold medal with a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Maria Sharapova in the most one-sided women's final in the history of the Games on Saturday.

Williams' victory, which surpassed Suzanne Lenglen's 6-3, 6-0 win over Dorothy Holman in the 1920 final in Antwerp, is the culmination of a grass court campaign that also brought the American a fifth Wimbledon crown.

Great Britain reaped a record Olympic harvest at the London 2012 rowing regatta which concluded Saturday with the host nation claiming two of the four concluding finals.

Arguably the most successful day in British rowing history began with Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge winning the country's fourth successive men's four title.

Wojdan Shaherkani became the first ever Saudi Arabian woman to compete at the Olympic Games on Friday and almost stole French heavyweight champion Teddy Riner's thunder.

Riner is the biggest star in the sport and has been totally dominant in the top men's division since the last Games.