“The man is a genius”, Coe said. But it’s been a great career, I’ve done all I can do. He said it once more as Friday night turned into Saturday morning.
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Usain Bolt led Jamaica to the men’s 4x100m relay gold medal at the Rio Olympics on Friday.
Bolt ran the anchor leg to add the Rio relay crown to the 100 metres and 200 metres titles he had already won for a third straight Games. Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016.
Great Britain’s women are Olympic champions for the first time after Maddie Hinch and Hollie Webb’s penalty shootout heroics ended Holland’s dynasty in the Games. He also posed for pictures with a dude who was carrying a Bolt doll attached to which was a sign that said, on one side, “Happy birthday Bolt” and, on the other, “See you in Japan – Bolt forever”, a reference to the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“There you go; I am the greatest”, a smiling Bolt declared as he came off the track.
Bolt has spoken so many times about wanting to stand among the giants of all sports – Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan – not just track.
“I want to stay in the sport, I want to stay around the sport”, he said. “And in the process, I became one of the greatests”. As with the individual sprints, Bolt was ahead by a comfortable margin as he crossed the finish line.
“It was the twilight zone”, sprinter Justin Gatlin said.
And he had no problems doing so, producing his trademark speed in an awesome display of power as Jamaica won in 37.27 seconds. The Canadians were bumped up to third, 37.64.
“Man’s a legend”, said American Trayvon Bromell, a 21-year-old who faced Bolt twice during his Olympic debut in Rio, in the 100m and 4x100m. Every four years, the USA squad proves to be snake-bit: a disqualification in 2008, a stripped silver in 2012 after Tyson Gay’s doping violation.
With the gold, Bolt completed an unprecedented triple-triple – three gold medals (in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 relay) in three consecutive Olympics.
Less pressure when you know you’re the fastest man out there. The Americans had no problem with that, posting a time faster than any other relay team in the first round.
The US team were initially disqualified in the heats, only to get a second shot at qualifying for the final after officials ruled that Allyson Felix had been knocked during the second changeover.
“It kind of hurts right now, this one is pretty tough”, De Grasse would say, thinking his team had come up short.
The night’s main event, though was Bolt’s Olympic farewell. Each, for instance, left London four years ago with three gold medals and a world record. Same as Carl Lewis.
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Since 1995, though, the Americans had failed to get the baton around or been disqualified eight times in sprint relays at the Olympics or world championships and calamity struck for a ninth time on Friday.
