Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates his team’s victory at the end of the Men’s 4 x 100-meter relay final.
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But he admitted the occasion was tinged with sadness as the sport’s biggest name said goodbye to its biggest stage.
“I live for these moments, it is lovely and I came through”, Bolt told the BBC.
“I’m definitely going to miss the crowd and the energy and just the competition”, Bolt said. “So it gives me hope to show the world that the impossible is possible”.
Later on Friday night USA Track & Field (USATF) appealed the disqualification, they expect an answer in the morning. The Kenyan team is next with 10 medals overall including five gold, and Jamaica has six gold among nine medals overall.
Jamaica won in a time of 37.27 seconds.
“Well, I needed me to win, and the Olympics needed me to win because the sport is going through a lot, and I wanted to help build it back, and that’s what I did”.
“When we fenced one another we’d get really aggressive”. “I told the guys that if they didn’t come through for me I’d beat them up!” I love running with these guys.
From that moment on, there was only one victor as Bolt predictably streaked clear of his rivals to earn gold for a team also featuring Asafa Powell, Nickel Ashmeade and Yohan Blake. The men’s event saw world record holder Yohann Diniz finish eighth despite collapsing during the race.
“It’s very humbling, and I’m thankful to share it with these special ladies”, Felix said. “It’s been a great career”.
“It’s a relief but I’m also sad that I have to leave”.
In the eight years since Beijing, the 11-times world champion has become one of the best known sportsmen on the planet and with the “triple-triple” has a legitimate claim to the title of greatest Olympic track and field athlete ever. “I’ve sacrificed so much throughout the season, throughout the years, I’ve been through so much”.
He remains, though, utterly dominant. “Simple mistakes always cost us”, – Tyson Gay was far from impressed with the disqualification of the United States 4x100m relay team. That is all relative, though.
When he was just 8 years old, Ashton Eaton said, the sprinter Michael Johnson had inspired him. “I’ve told him he should come back for 2020!”
Trayvon Bromell’s dip for the line was so aggressive that he tumbled over but the United States still thought they were settling for bronze in 37.62.
Celebrated prematurely Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay. You work so hard with your team mates, guys you compete against nearly all year long. “All that work just crumbles”.
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The U.S. women, granted an unprecedented do-over in Thursday’s qualifying after a dropped baton was ruled due to an impermissible hit-and-run by the Brazilians, ran Friday night to gold in 41.01: Tianna Bartoletta to Allyson Felix to English Gardner to Tori Bowie.
