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 in Rio on Friday. He turned a close 4×100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27 seconds.
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“I’ve worked hard every Olympics to prove I’m the greatest”. “I am the greatest”.
This last gold medal means that Bolt has won nine golds in 114 seconds. But the first pass, Mike Rodgers to Justin Gatlin, was just this much out of the exchange zone, and the US was disqualified. Canada defeated the hosts Brazil to win the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, the US team was disqualified – again.
“It’s just one of those things, but the key thing is that I won and you guys know that the only thing that matters is the gold medal”.
“They really came through for me and I’m happy to have done what I came here to do”. “I’ve told him he should come back for 2020!” “It’s come true”, Bolt said. “I try to make it different, this is why people love me so much”.
Despite Bolt’s utterances about Olympic retirement, Blake said he believed the World record-holder had another Games in him. Trinidad and Tobago were also disqualified, promoting China to fourth. Nine gold in three Olympics is not easy for a sprinter but he has done it.
And despite this being his final Olympic Games, he might soon be hunting for more gold with rumours the track superstar will soon be in the market for a wedding ring.
Bolt, the most famous Jamaican since Bob Marley, has repeatedly declined to say what he will do after he hangs up his spikes. “It has been a long journey”, he said later, reflecting on his extraordinary career. I’ve always wanted to do this. “To actually win this at my age, lucky enough to get this horse here, it’s pretty emotional for all concerned on my team”.
“Hats off to them for going out there and executing well and getting the silver medal”.
Hot favorite Almaz Ayana suddenly slumped in the final stages, allowing Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya to surge past and win the women’s 5,000 meters in an Olympic record Friday. They were celebrating the third-place finish in the stadium.
The biggest name at the Olympics may have been just mucking around, but his throw wasn’t too shabby.
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His time of 19.78 seconds Thursday in Rio was more than a half second off his own world record, but still almost a quarter of a second better than second-place finisher Andre De Grasse of Canada.
