Usain Bolt is on his knees and has his eyes up to heaven at the start of a race. After flashing his trademark smile, Bolt went on to say “I don’t need to prove anything else”. When asked if this would be his final Olympics, Bolt said, “I want to say so”.
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“I am trying to be one of the greatest; be among [Muhammad] Ali and Pele”. With this success, the 29-year-old scripted history.
Like much of the world, the Brazilian public have loved Bolt ever since he burst so dramatically onto the scene at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and as he draped their national flag around his shoulders, chants of his name rang around the stadium.
“But I’ve worked hard and I’ve pushed myself to be the best”.
Adam Gemili, the Briton and another up-and-comer, finished with the same time as Christophe Lemaitre, the Frenchman who took bronze. Both were awarded the same time of 20.12.
Bolt announced that this was his last individual race at the Olympics as he is retiring next year.
He holds the world record for the 100 meters (9.58 seconds in 2009) and 200 metres (19.19 in 2009). It was not to be.
But he signalled his farewell to the 200m – and the Olympics on a whole – immediately after the race, as he knelt on the finish line to kiss the track goodbye. However it was Bolt all the way once the runners turned around the bend. “My body wouldn’t respond to me, so I guess it’s just age and all around taking a toll”.
“It was an unbelievable moment”, said the 26-year-old. “I never come to a championship unless I know I’m prepared. When I relax by myself I’ll probably get a bit emotional but now I’m just happy I got it done”.
Dalilah Muhammad won the women’s 400m hurdles after Kerron Clement had taken the men’s gold, while Ryan Crouser hurled the longest throw of his life to win the men’s shot put.
Croatian Sara Kolak won javelin gold to dash Czech Barbora Spotakova’s dreams of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive gold medals in the same individual athletics event.
Ashton Eaton has become nearly as dominant in the decathlon as Bolt is in the sprints but the American was happy to defer to Bolt after retaining his title. Bolt got the lead after 100m and kept putting distance between himself and all the other runners easily.
Instead of the rapturous celebrations you might expect from the mother of the greatest track Olympian of all-time, Jennifer Bolt looks like she expected more from her son.
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‘He told me many times that he’s going to start his family’.
