Immortal Usain Bolt completes his historic ‘triple-triple’ as Jamaica power to 4x100m relay win
Bolt confirms his name in the history books as he bows out of Olympic competition with a ninth sprint gold for Jamaica
It’s highly doubtful anyone would have forgotten the name of Usain Bolt had he ended his career on ‘only’ eight sprint golds. Just in case, he ensured the “immortality” he was chasing with No 9 after a final sprint to seal the 4x100m relay gold at the Olympic Stadium in Rio that was no less stunning for all that we have become used to his feats of greatness.
Bolt, for whom this might be a final Olympics, has been saying all week in Brazil that he needed the “triple-triple” – consecutive golds in the 100, 200 and 4x100 metres at three Games – to achieve legendary status alongside icons that transcend sport such as Muhammad Ali and Pele. Job done.
WATCH: golden moments on Day 14 at the Rio Olympics
Jamaica won in 37.27 seconds, the fourth fastest time in history. Their London 2012 world record (36.84) and the 37.10 they ran in Beijing are first and third, with their 37.04 at the 2011 World Championships second.
It briefly looked in doubt as Nickel Ashmeade came round the bend on the third leg, pushed hard by Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu. Then the baton was handed over securely and the greatest sprinter of all-time did what he always does – destroyed the competition.
At the end he was three or four metres ahead of Aska Cambridge, the Jamaican-born anchor for Japan’s impressive silver (37.60). Canada, who had Andre de Grasse in the last leg, took bronze four-hundredths of a second later – but only after the US team were disqualified.
The 21-year-old De Grasse, third behind Bolt in the 100m and second to him in the 200m, is just the latest sprinter to become sick of the sight of Bolt’s back receding into the distance.