He was forced to come from behind to beat fellow-Jamaican Asafa Powell in 9.77 seconds on Friday at the Van Damme Memorial.

Running into a 1.3m-per-second headwind, the Olympic 100m and 200m champion had a bad start and immediately saw Powell ahead of him.

In his last race of the season, however, nothing was going to stop the world record holder from spoiling his farewell party in Europe.

Halfway through, he pulled level with Powell and then his huge stride took over. He finished just 0.08sec off the world record he set at the Beijing Games.

It was the fastest run ever into a headwind, and matched the sixth-fastest time in history despite the chilly temperature.

Powell, the only runner to have beaten Bolt this season, finished second in 9.83. Nesta Carter made it a Jamaican sweep in 10.07.

'Asafa is a really fast guy. I'm getting used to chasing him,' said Bolt. 'It's great to finish the season with a victory. I had a bad start, so I have to be satisfied with 9.77, especially in these wet conditions.'

Powell, who had beaten Bolt in Stockholm this summer, took the loss well and celebrated with his compatriot along the track, cheered by the 47,000-strong crowd at the King Baudouin Stadium.

Bolt had long warned he feared the cold and it was just 15 deg C at the start. Even his trademark showboating moves could not warm him up and when the starting gun went, he froze. He was last out of the blocks.

But such is his superiority that he can compensate whatever he loses within a mere five seconds.

Once Powell saw him next to him, he knew he was done.

'I came out to run fast,' Powell said. 'Usain really put on the pressure. I'm not that far off but now, I have to work hard.'

Bolt won the 100m and 200m and ran in the Jamaican 4x100m sprint relay, winning three gold medals and setting a world record in each of his races in Beijing.

Friday's race should also have featured world champion Tyson Gay but the American pulled out on Thursday, opting to concentrate on his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Kenya's Pamela Jelimo scooped the Golden League US$1 million (S$1.4 million) jackpot, after winning the 800m to record her sixth win out of six this season.

The 18-year-old Olympic champion recorded 1min 55.16sec in the wet conditions at the Brussels meet to take the prize, which is awarded to the athlete who wins all six of the Golden League outings.

AFP, AP