He now also leaves the Olympic stage as just the second man to win the 4x100m three times.
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Usain Bolt brought the curtain down on his historic Olympic career by winning a ninth gold medal in the men’s 4x100m relay in Rio. The race was more or less even when the stick got around the final turn to Bolt. The Kenyan team is next with 10 medals overall including five gold, and Jamaica has six gold among nine medals overall. In one of the biggest surprises of the track program, Japan took silver – and had been leading before Bolt got the baton. Afterward, Bailey memorably made a throat-slash gesture – an indication that he, for sure, did not fear the vaunted Bolt or the Jamaicans. Canada was given the bronze.
At 29-years-old, track and field superstar Usain Bolt has claimed gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics for every race he entered and has become the only man to win all three sprint events, the 100m, 200m, and the men’s 4×100 meter relay, in three straight Olympic Games. “Nine gold medals, words can’t even describe what he’s done for the sport”. He huddled with his teammates and they prayed. They confessed that they practiced just twice before Friday’s race.
“I have mixed feelings”, he said. “To win an Olympic medal with your wife standing next to you, taking the penalty [stroke] in the pressure moments, is so special and we will cherish this for the rest of our lives”. I’ve done all I can do. “All of them mean the world to me – it’s nine”. It is mission accomplished, pretty much. The first one (in Beijing in 2008) I was just happy, the second one (in London in 2012) was a challenge, and then to come here and do the third one is just unbelievable. “And I want to hang the medal around the neck of our president”.
The Jamaican four Friday night: Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nickel Ashmeade, Bolt. He posed for selfies with random fans. It is a feat that USA Today has said is truly a fantastic way to cap off Usain Bolt’s Olympic legacy.
“It was the twilight zone”, Gatlin said. “It was a nightmare”. You work so hard with your team-mates, work so hard to have a bond and it goes away. “All that work just crumbles”.
Gatlin said he thought it was a legal baton exchange.
Still, the US added to their haul.
“I didn’t plan to keep running until I was 38, but it seems that I’ve got to to get another medal”, the American sprinter said. “Today I said “I am not going to lose”, – Cheruiyot rightly believed this was her time. That happened to us in 2009 if I’m not mistaken. However, Bolt’s teammates were undoubtedly a huge help in his gaining that “triple triple” medal victor title as they ensured that each baton pass was as smooth as possible and for the most part, maintaining a lead on each leg of the journey.
It was the ninth time since 1995 that the US team has been disqualified from a relay at an Olympics or world championship. It has to be the worst luck for this country ever.
The U.S. women had a much better night. Running the second leg in the relay, Felix kept the USA up there with the mighty Jamaicans, before English Gardner and Tori Bowie brought the baton, tightly clenched in their hands, home for gold.
The U.S. quartet of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie led nearly the whole way and celebrated their win with the large contingent of Americans in the stands. – Great Britain’s Kate Richardson-Walsh on winning gold in the women’s hockey alongside her wife Helen.
The U.S. team has been on such a run, that Bowie takes it in stride. And Friday was no exception. The Americans won the silver, but the team was later disqualified and stripped of the medals because Gay was suspended for doping.
Jamaica, with Bolt as the anchor, has dominated the event in recent years.
Bolt has not said if he would consider the post, and in any case has committed to run at next year’s World Championships before bowing out from competition. “I think they are more focused on beating Jamaica than running a proper race”.
“I ask all her supporters to not expect anything today”, Rick Suhr wrote. But after some time I was told I’m officially third place. Let’s watch and appreciate what Jenn is willing to go thru to represent America. “I told her no matter how tough or ugly this is, you already won by being a great Olympic champion”. American Sandi Morris took silver, and Eliza McCartney of New Zealand won bronze.
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In the women’s 5,000 meters, Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia, who won gold in the 10,000 meters in world record time, fell short in her attempt for double gold. That promoted Canada to the bronze medal. Cheruiyot set an Olympic record with a time of 14:26.17.
