Rio de Janeiro, August 20: Usain Bolt drew down the curtain on his brilliant Olympic career by securing a sweep of the sprint titles for a third successive Games when Jamaica successfully defended the 4×100 metres relay crown here Friday.
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Bolt, the most famous Jamaican since Bob Marley, has repeatedly declined to say what he will do after he hangs up his spikes.
The U.S. men’s basketball team was pushed once again by Spain before prevailing 82-76 Friday to earn a shot at a third straight gold medal.
With two days to go, the USA track and field team has 27 medals, including 10 gold.
In Bolt’s wake, Japan’s anchor Aska Cambridge pulled away from Trayvon Bromell to bring them across the line in 37.60, an Asian record.
Japan won a surprise silver and the US were disqualified to hand Canada bronze and lift Britain up to fifth.
His haul of nine gold medals is the joint highest among Olympic athletics, equal with US sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis and Finnish long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi.
Along for Bolt’s final trip down the track were Nickel Ashmeade, training partner Yohan Blake and the Jamaican elder statesman, former world-record holder Asafa Powell.
And how did he achieve greatness? “I was never satisfied”.
If he steps down from the Olympic stage, Bolt will end his career with the same number of Olympic gold medals as American sprint and long jump great Carl Lewis and Finnish middle-distance runner Paavo Nurmi.
Gay was the last man to beat Bolt in a major championship final – in the 200 meters at the 2007 worlds in Osaka – and despite his disappointment at the disqualification he had nothing but praise for the Jamaican. The Kenyan team is next with 10 medals overall including five gold, and Jamaica has six gold among nine medals overall.
Felix had been bumped in the preliminary heats and lost the baton, but the US team protested and got a second chance – a solo re-run that allowed them to qualify based on time.
“It felt like we were really strong tonight”.
The wrestler, far and away the most dominant American in his sport the past few years, came to Rio a heavy favorite to defend his gold in the 74-kilogram weight class with a 130-2 record in worldwide competition.
Greece’s Ekaterini Stefanidi won the women’s pole vault after virus-stricken defending champion Jenn Suhr crashed out. A big wipe out also ended the charge of French world champion Joris Daudet. They now have 27 medals with two days to go, including 10 gold. Lochte had called it a gunpoint robbery; Brazilian police said he and three other swimmers vandalized a bathroom while intoxicated and were confronted by armed security guards.
“The commission members can ask to hear the swimmers and we will see if there is material for a sanction”, an International Olympic Committee official told AFP. He’s now won the 100 meters, the 200 meters and the 4×100-meter relay in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.
Sindhu was not too disappointed.
“I enjoy showing them and giving them the joy I get out of doing this because they give me the energy to do it so I’m always hungry”.
Estelle Mossely celebrated her 24th birthday by beating China’s Yin Junhua to become the first Frenchwoman to win Olympic boxing gold.
It was the flawless way for the sport’s biggest star to leave its biggest stage.
The match at the Maracana comes two years after Germany humiliated the hosts 7-1 in the World Cup semi-final at the same legendary stadium.
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The 19-year-old Ko hit her first ever hole-in-one on Friday to keep up the pressure.
