Athletics: Bolt says AFP lightning photo 'amazing'

Jamaican track star Usain Bolt said an AFP photograph of the sprinter clinching world 100m gold as a lightning bolt illuminated the stormy skies above was "amazing".

AFP photographer Olivier Morin snapped the photo on Sunday night as Bolt stormed to victory to reclaim his 100m title at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

Photographers, sports fans and commentators were left slack-jawed after seeing the image, which was massively shared on social media sites, and on Twitter was tweeted and retweeted thousands of times.

Morin, 47, who's based in AFP's Milan bureau, shrugged off his role in capturing the image, saying he can only claim "one percent" credit.

But Bolt, after winning his 200m semi-final on Friday to advance to Saturday's final, told the BBC: "It was an amazing moment.

"It's one of those pictures that you just want to remember."

The BBC was one of several media outlets in Moscow to have interviewed Morin, and panned to highlight the photographer as Bolt spoke.

Morin, an AFP veteran of 23 years, said he'd set up five remote-controlled cameras along the edge of the track, all of them focused on Bolt's lane. He had envisioned getting a photo of the winner with his hands in the air.

Morin's blog posting is at: u.afp.com/bolt