Dubbed as #ThrillerThursday, and, boy, did it live up to that billing.
If the Olympics delivered its promise on Super Saturday, with Jessic Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all taking gold, Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and David Weir delivered and refused the tip.
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| The Olympic Stadium in all its glory |
Cockroft and Weir, as brilliant as they were in taking gold, were expected to take the top-spot.
But Jonnie Peacock, who was the fastest qualifier - still had the 'inexperience' tag being hung around his neck before he had the chance to get a medal around there.
Cockroft had destroyed the field once more, taking a Paralympic Record with her in claiming the golden athletic achievement of the sprint double.
Weir, some time later, followed and built the Olympic Stadium's crowd into a frenzy with his patented tactical hanging back and pouncing with a sprint finish, overhauling his friend Marcel Hug in the final 100m to claim his third gold.
And then came Peacock. He was a little unknown. He'd said himself he wondered if, among the poster-girls and boys, "people knew who he was".
Well, it certainly seemed like it when the PA system was pleading for the crowd to be quiet and mute the 80,000 strong cheering "Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."
Then came the silence. Eery silence as the sprint starts got into the blocks, balancing their prostheses, getting into optimum explosive positions.
The gun went off, but pandemonium - Alan Oliviera had wobbled and a 'faulty start' had been called, signified by the green card.
"Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."
Jonnie, having darted out the blocks by 10 metres, put his finger to his lips. He needed his focus. He needed to drink-in just one sound at that time - the sound of the gun.
Back in the blocks. "Set," the gun shot lead to a wave of prostheses clattering and, as if in tandem, the expectant crowd's eruption.
He was in front from the drive phase: head down, pushing those knees up.
His head rose, searching for sight of the line. Arms powering the torso through, knees still driving and then came the line. Peacock crossed, not sure whether he had won, dreamt he'd won, or been pipped on the line.
Everyone new but they didn't know. It was a paradox, waiting for the board. Lights would lead the way.
The crowd was in agony. They all knew but it wasn't real. Not yet. Peacock was anxious, too.
A nervous look around. He knew, but he didn't know.
Bu he'd done it. Peacock had won it, taking the premier event in any athletics competition: the 100m sprint.
He clutched his friend, his rival, Oscar Pistorius. He'd beaten the biggest star is disability sport and in the process confirmed himself as "familiar in their mouths as household words", (Shakespeare, Henry V).
"Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."
*video to follow
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