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 on Friday.
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Just days after the sprint king’s sister declared his long-term girlfriend Kasi Bennett would be perfectly suited to marry him, the nine-time Olympic gold medallist was caught thrusting his heart out on the backside of a woman inside a Rio club.
Japan won a surprise silver and the United States of America were disqualified to hand Canada bronze and lift Britain up to fifth.
Bolt, though, will go down as one of the greatest athletes ever as his nine gold medals equals the record held by US sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis and Finnish long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi.
“I’ve worked hard every Olympics to win three gold medals, I’ve proven to the world I’m the greatest”, he said.
Michael Phelps has a record 23 gold medals and Bolt only has nine, but Phelps would be the first to admit that swimming golds are slightly easier to obtain given the flurry of distances and different strokes. “I’m just happy I’ve accomplished so much and I’m relieved”.
The U.S. women brought it home in 41.02 seconds, and lead-off runner Tianna Bartoletta was already waiting for Bowie for a wild embrace to celebrate the second-fastest time in history behind the world record that Felix and Co. set in winning gold at the London Games.
There was a significant shock in the women’s 5000m final as 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana dramatically failed to claim her second gold of the Games, Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot instead prevailing. Japanese anchorman Aska Cambridge held off the Americans, including St. Louisan Mike Rodgers (Berkeley High/Lindenwood), who later were disqualified for an exchange outside the zone in what has nearly become a USA tradition by now. He smirked and continued, “My team came through for me tonight”.
Usain Bolt took to throwing a javelin in Rio’s Olympic stadium.
“There’s no one on the anchor leg who can outrun me when we get the baton”.
“It’s mixed feelings. It’s a relief, because it’s really stressful, I’ve had injury problems, but I’m also sad that I have to leave, this is my last one”.
After winning both the 100m and 200m in Rio, Bolt came out strong and along with Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmeade timed 37.27 seconds to win the yellow medal.
When Bolt received the yellow baton from Ashmeade for his final run down the straightaway, he was even, or maybe a step behind Aska Cambridge of Japan and Trayvon Bromell of the United States. “I’m going to miss the crowds”. Not set at the Olympics but at the 2009 world championships. Born in Trelawny parish near Montego Bay – where a host of sprinters including the shamed Ben Johnson also come from – Bolt was something special from the start, according to Jennifer Bolt.
Read about Bolt’s triumphs in the 100m and 200m at Rio 2016.
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“He’s a great sprinter”, Gay said.
