Usain Bolt captured headlines Sunday night by winning his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters, and today he begins his quest to do the same in the 200.
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Bolt, who turns 30 on the day of the Rio closing ceremony, August 21, claimed 100m, 200m and 4x100m trebles at the 2008 and 2012 Games, a feat never achieved before and which aims to complete again in Rio, with the 200m final on Thursday and the relay the next day.
Japan’s Ryota Yamagata, Britain’s Daniel Talbot, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Canada’s Andre De Grasse compete in a men’s 100-meter semifinal during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Ri.
“I hate morning heats so I’m happy to get this out of the way”, said Bolt. “I am happy and I am proud”, Bolt told a scrum of reporters once finally arrived in the mixed zone some two hours after the race.
De Grasse took bronze in a personal best of 9.91, ahead of Bolt’s Jamaican team-mate Yohan Blake.
In tennis, Andy Murray became the first player to win two gold medals in the men’s singles event as he scraped past Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to retain his London 2012 Olympic Games title.
The world records of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively – both from 2009 – further underline his dominance on the track, along with 11 world titles including trebles in 2009, 2013 and 2015.
“This is one of the biggest things”, said the world’s fastest man, whose confidence is flying after he all but jogged to 9.86s in the 100m semis. “I’d like to see everyone have respect in the audience, as well”. There is no rivalry between us, no bad blood. I hope that he can say the same for me. Australian photographer Cameron Spencer, shooting for Getty Images, snapped just the right image, and it immediately went viral.
Despite his victory on Sunday, Bolt suffered the rare experience of being upstaged on the track by South African Wayde van Niekerk’s 400m world record of 43.03.
Gatlin, 34, said: “Being the oldest guy in the field and being on the podium is a victory within itself”. He’s got speed and strength. “I’m exhausted now, but happy to be through”. Bolt has consistently maintained that he will not step up to the one-lap event, despite Mills’ desire for him to do so.
“That would be a good race”.
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‘I wasn’t pleased, ‘ Bolt said, in answer to the first question he was asked at the winner’s news conference. Few, if any, would bet against him.
