Yet Bolt, who is turning 30 this weekend and is aptly nicknamed “Lightning Bolt”, still has his eyes set on one more gold for the 4×100-meter relay on Friday.
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The United States” “Dream Team’ of NBA stars beat Spain 82-76 to go into a men’s basketball final against either Australia or Serbia. Tianna Bartoletta ran the opening leg for the U.S.
It didn’t bother them.
While Bolt said he is happy to let public opinion determine his place in sports history, it takes a certain confidence and self-assurance to be truly world class in such a competitive discipline.
As so often, Felix’s celebrations were mostly muted but her smile told it all. She had been through injury, the inability to defend her 200-meter title because she didn’t qualify at the USA trials and, almost, a DQ in the relay heats.
She entered the games as one of just six women to have won four golds in track and field.
A win is a win, and Bolt has gold medal No. 8, and a third straight 200 victory to go with the same trifecta in the 100.
It was not all perfection for the Americans though.
Jennifer’s priceless reaction to the win comes just days after she revealed she hoped her son would settle down.
Speaking in the early hours of Friday morning after completing victory in the men’s 200 meters at Olympic Stadium, Bolt said he was honored to be mentioned in the same breath as sporting icons Muhammad Ali and Pele, and Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps.
The field running far behind him through a thin mist – Andre de Grasse of Canada finished.24 behind and Christophe Lemaitre of France took bronze – Bolt was giving every ounce of effort, grimacing as he approached the line.
Still, the US added to their haul.
In July, Bolt said his coach, Glen Mills, already had his eye on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. If Bolt leads Jamaica to a gold in the team relay tonight, it will a stunning achievement.
“I got out horribly”, said Merritt, the only American in the 200m final (Gatlin was ninth in the semis and said he had an ankle injury). I am trying to be one of the greatest.
His record in his favorite race still stands at 19.19.
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How Bolt looked in his last individual Olympic race was less reminiscent of previous Olympics than it was of his most vulnerable race of this Olympic cycle.
