Bolt third victory: Usain Bolt grabs another gold medal, Jamaican sprinter flies out in 400 relay
Bolt capped his spectacular Summer Games by tearing through his portion of the 400-meter relay Friday night, setting up Jamaica’s victory in 37.10 seconds to break a 16-year-old world record.
Bolt third victory: Usain Bolt grabs another gold medal, Jamaican sprinter flies out in 400 relay. BEIJING — Usain Bolt loves the cameras, the cameras love Usain Bolt, and when they connected during his third victory lap of these Olympics, he smiled that infectious smile and raised three fingers.
As in: 3 for 3 for 3.
As in: three events, three gold medals, three world records.
Bolt capped his spectacular Summer Games by tearing through his portion of the 400-meter relay Friday night, setting up Jamaica’s victory in 37.10 seconds to break a 16-year-old world record.
It was the perfect way to end a weeklong coming-out party that began with a world record of 9.69 in the 100 meters Saturday, followed by a world record of 19.30 in the 200 meters Wednesday.
“The greatest Olympics ever,” Bolt called it.
Who could argue?
Bolt joins quite a list: The only other men to win gold medals in the 100, 200 and the sprint relay at one Olympics were Carl Lewis in 1984, Bobby Morrow in 1956 and Jesse Owens in 1936. None of those greats set world records in either the 100 or 200, though, much less both.
“People can only dream of doing what he’s done. He’s basically cemented himself as a legend of track and field,” said Bolt’s relay teammate Michael Frater. “I don’t think any performance can top what he’s done here.”
If not for Michael Phelps, the Beijing Games would go down in history as the Bolt Games.
Impossible as it might have seemed after Phelps collected his Olympics-record eight golds in the pool, the 6-foot-5-inch sprinter managed to share top billing thanks to speed that stuns and charisma that gets people talking.
And while there was drama at the Water Cube — one of Phelps’ golds came by a hundredth of a second, another came thanks to a relay teammate’s huge comeback — Bolt left no room for doubt in any of his three events at the Bird’s Nest.
He won the 100 by 0.20, then the 200 by 0.66. The margin in the relay, 0.96 over second-place Trinidad and Tobago, was the biggest in that event at the Olympics since 1936. Japan was third.
The relay actually was close after Nesta Carter ran the first leg for Jamaica, and Frater the second. Bolt changed that quickly, putting his team way out in front, even if he wasn’t running the leg he hoped.
“Usain wanted to start. He wanted to lay the hammer down from the start,” Frater said. “The coaches wanted him to run the third leg. We listened to the coaches.”
After passing along the baton to anchor Asafa Powell — no small feat, if you ask the U.S. teams that bungled exchanges in qualifying a night earlier, or the Jamaican women, who did the same thing earlier Friday — Bolt pointed at Powell and yelled encouragement. Even as Bolt slowed in his lane, his work done, the other teams’ anchors couldn’t catch him for about 30 meters — that’s how big Jamaica’s lead was.
The Jamaicans shattered the old mark of 37.40, originally set by a U.S. team that included Lewis at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, then matched by another American quartet in 1993.
With that latest gold and world record secured, Bolt went into his now-familiar postrace routine. He yanked off his golden spikes and did a barefoot dance. He pointed his fingers to the sky, pantomiming an archer’s stance.
This time, though, thrilled to be part of a team effort, he added a new wrinkle, chest-bumping Powell, the man who held the 100 record for three years until this kid came along. It was Powell’s first Olympic medal.
“I said to Asafa, ‘Can we do this?’ ” Bolt recounted, “and he was like, ‘Don’t worry, mon, we got this one.’ ”
Not that it’s all that easy to get a baton all the way around a track, not at high speed, at the Olympics, with the world watching. How else to explain all of the goof-ups? First by the U.S. men in qualifying Thursday — which is why they weren’t on the track to push Bolt, Powell and Co. in the final — then by the U.S. women in 400 qualifying and then by the Jamaican women in the 400 final.
That last error wiped out the Caribbean island’s bid to become only the second country to go 6 for 6 in the sprinting events at an Olympics; the United States won the men’s and women’s 100s, 200s and 400 relays at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union.
Still, 5 of 6 ain’t bad. Consider the flip side: The United States will leave an Olympics 0 for 6 in the sprint races for the first time.
“All I can say is: Yo, Jamaican sprinters, taking over the world,” Bolt said.
Olympic News Hot:
US women’s basketball wins fourth straight gold 2:03 pm EDT (AP)
Cuban taekwondo athlete earns lifetime ban for kicking ref 1:44 pm EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Kobe turns a year older, a decade wiser 1:43 pm EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Lisa Leslie and U.S. women’s basketball earn Olympic four-peat 1:33 pm EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Basketball-Awesome U.S. make it four straight 1:32 pm EDT (Reuters)
Lagat finishes disappointing 9th in Olympic 5,000m 1:30 pm EDT (AP)
Leslie, U.S. women win fourth straight gold in basketball 1:27 pm EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Diving-Out and golden, Mitcham dazzles Beijing 1:25 pm EDT (Reuters)
Team USA rolls over Australia in basketball 1:24 pm EDT (PA SportsTicker)
South Koreans elated at winning 1st baseball gold 1:21 pm EDT (AP)
Volleyball-China ends Cuban medal run 1:17 pm EDT (Reuters)
Tragedy weighed heavily on U.S. women 1:16 pm EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
US women end eventful Olympics with no regrets 1:15 pm EDT (AP)
Brazil defeats US 3-1 for volleyball gold 1:13 pm EDT (AP)
At last: Richards, Felix, Wariner get their golds 1:07 pm EDT (AP)
Messi magic sees Argentina defend Olympic title 1:00 pm EDT (AFP)
Belgian ends Vlasic’s high jump streak 12:59 pm EDT (AP)
In the end, China serves up a memorable Olympics 12:51 pm EDT (AP)
Bekele completes the distance double, what next? 12:50 pm EDT (AP)
Inspired Richards brings Americans back from the dead 12:50 pm EDT (AFP)
Wang Hao can’t turn the tables 12:48 pm EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
US women claim fourth straight Olympic basketball title 12:39 pm EDT (AFP)
Wait ’til 2012: Another medal shutout for US 12:27 pm EDT (AP)
PREVIEW-Athletics-Kenya seek elusive marathon gold in last event 12:24 pm EDT (Reuters)
Highlights from TV Olympic coverage 12:19 pm EDT (AP)
Chinese take record 8 medals in table tennis 12:16 pm EDT (AP)
Germany defeats Spain for men’s field hockey gold 12:14 pm EDT (AP)
Triple track joy for Africa in Bird’s Nest 12:04 pm EDT (Reuters)
Cuban athlete might be banned after kicking ref 12:03 pm EDT (AP)
Saturday highlights at the Beijing Games 12:02 pm EDT (AP)
Olympic roundup: women’s relay, baseball bronze 11:56 am EDT (AP)
Cuba has to settle for silver in Olympics 11:55 am EDT (AP)
Omega finally releases Phelps photo sequence 11:53 am EDT (AP)
Timetable of events for Sunday 11:49 am EDT (Reuters)
As games wind down, wait goes on for gymnasts 11:48 am EDT (AP)
Medals awarded on Saturday 11:47 am EDT (Reuters)
Basketball-United States win women’s gold 11:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Cuban banned for referee kick 11:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Aussie diver prevents Chinese from golden sweep 11:33 am EDT (AP)
Hellebaut wins high jump gold 11:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Bolt credits ‘hard work,’ fast track for 3 records 11:20 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Russian Chakhkiev enjoys golden revenge 11:15 am EDT (Reuters)
Olympics close with emotional volleyball match 11:14 am EDT (AP)
U.S. finish athletics on a high 11:08 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. women, men defend gold in 1,600 relay 11:07 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Bekele double, U.S. relay redemption 11:00 am EDT (Reuters)
FPM Medals: Best Olympic-themed ad 10:59 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Bekele joins greats with distance double 10:57 am EDT (Reuters)
South Korea wins improbable gold in baseball 10:51 am EDT (AP)
Hammon leads Russia to women’s basketball bronze 10:47 am EDT (AP)
Diving-Gold medallist Matthew Mitcham 10:45 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Tia Hellebaut 10:41 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Rakhim Chakhkiev 10:39 am EDT (Reuters)
Lomachenko ends magnificent games with boxing gold 10:38 am EDT (AP)
Cuban facing lifetime ban for kicking judge 10:34 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Degale wins gold for Britain 10:27 am EDT (AP)
Kenyan, Ethiopian runners thrive on hardships 10:23 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Gold medallist Cha Dong-min 10:22 am EDT (Reuters)
Brazil women top U.S. in volleyball gold medal match 10:22 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Boxing-Gold medallist James DeGale 10:19 am EDT (Reuters)
CORRECTED-Olympics-Hockey-Australians beat Dutch to win men’s br 10:18 am EDT (Reuters)
US men win 4×400 relay to claim track supremacy 10:13 am EDT (AFP)
Thailand’s Somjit wins gold, Manus gets silver 10:12 am EDT (AP)
U.S. women get valuable gymnastics lessons 10:05 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Thorkildsen returns to the summit 10:01 am EDT (Reuters)
Hockey-Men’s final result 10:01 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. men’s gymnasts make the grade 10:01 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
The Olympics over, China counts medals and respect 9:59 am EDT (AP)
Degale wins boxing gold for Great Britain 9:59 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Taekwondo-Gold medallist Maria Espinoza 9:58 am EDT (Reuters)
Hockey-Germany win men’s hockey gold 9:55 am EDT (Reuters)
Kanaeva wins gold for Russia 9:52 am EDT (AP)
Volleyball-Women’s final result 9:52 am EDT (Reuters)
Gymnastics-Gold medallist Evgeniya Kanaeva 9:50 am EDT (Reuters)
Supreme Bekele kicks late for double 9:48 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Nancy Jebet Langat 9:46 am EDT (Reuters)
Russia’s Chakhkiev wins boxing heavyweight gold 9:46 am EDT (AP)
Russians win team synchronized swimming gold 9:44 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s heavyweight final result 9:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Felix Diaz 9:42 am EDT (Reuters)
Belgium’s Hellebaut upsets Vlasic in high jump 9:37 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Gold medallist Vasyl Lomachenko 9:32 am EDT (Reuters)
Table tennis-Men’s singles final result 9:28 am EDT (Reuters)
Bungei delivers at last to win 800m 9:27 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. wins men’s 4×400 relay 9:23 am EDT (Reuters)
Wariner anchors US team to 1,600-meter victory 9:22 am EDT (AP)
Cuban taekwondo athlete banned after kicking ref 9:20 am EDT (AP)
Basketball-Women’s bronze medal match result 9:18 am EDT (Reuters)
Kenya’s Langat wins women’s 1500m 9:10 am EDT (Reuters)
Britain’s Degale wins boxing middleweight gold 9:10 am EDT (AP)
Gold medallist Andreas Thorkildsen 9:09 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Men’s middleweight final result 9:06 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. sprinter Gay vows to fight on 9:04 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Men’s +80kg final result 9:04 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-S.Korea’s Cha wins men’s +80kg gold 9:01 am EDT (Reuters)
What to watch on Saturday: day and night 8:59 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Factories to have to clean up before reopening 8:59 am EDT (Reuters)
Richards leads US to 4×400 relay win 8:58 am EDT (AP)
South Korea takes men’s taekwondo gold 8:56 am EDT (AP)
U.S. win women’s 4×400 relay 8:54 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-South Korea’s Cha wins men’s +80kg gold 8:50 am EDT (Reuters)
Maradona fumes over 42-degree Olympic final heat 8:50 am EDT (AFP)
Gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele 8:42 am EDT (Reuters)
Norway’s Thorkildsen wins javelin title 8:38 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s light-welterweight final result 8:37 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Mexico’s Espinoza wins +67-kg gold 8:36 am EDT (Reuters)
Diaz wins first gold for Dominican Republic 8:34 am EDT (AP)
Bekele wins 5,000, completes distance double 8:33 am EDT (AP)
Mexico takes women’s taekwondo gold 8:33 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg final result 8:32 am EDT (Reuters)
After 3 years together, US players set for goodbye 8:27 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Cuba’s Matos kicks referee after losing bout 8:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Wilfred Bungei 8:17 am EDT (Reuters)
Norwegian women beat Russia, take handball gold 8:13 am EDT (AP)
Table tennis-Men’s singles bronze medal match result 8:12 am EDT (Reuters)
Langat wins women’s 1,500 meters in an upset 8:06 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Beaten Cuban kicks ref after losing bout 8:00 am EDT (Reuters)
China celebrates gold canoe doubles team 7:59 am EDT (AP)
Canoeing-China earn second gold, Hungary vindication 7:58 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Lomachenko wins featherweight gold 7:57 am EDT (Reuters)
Lomachenko wins featherweight gold at Beijing 7:56 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s featherweight final result 7:53 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg bronze medal results 7:51 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Somjit Jongjohor 7:47 am EDT (Reuters)
Olympics as PR: Here’s the new, modern China 7:45 am EDT (AP)
Bungei wins men’s 800 for Kenya 7:42 am EDT (AP)
Correction: Women’s Field Hockey 7:29 am EDT (AP)
IAAF sides with Bolt on Rogge comments 7:28 am EDT (AP)
Boxing- Somjit wins flyweight gold medal 7:24 am EDT (Reuters)
Schroeder has US water polo back on medal stand 7:21 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s flyweight final result 7:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Cycling-Gold medallist Julien Absalon 7:18 am EDT (Reuters)
Thailand’s Somjit wins flyweight boxing gold 7:18 am EDT (AP)
China in line for Golden League meet – Diack 7:11 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg repechage round results 7:05 am EDT (Reuters)
A quick lookahead at the Olympics 7:03 am EDT (AP)
Tiananmen Square leader can’t visit Hong Kong 7:00 am EDT (AP)
Untouchable Absalon defends Olympic crown 7:00 am EDT (AP)
IAAF chief: Bolt better than Lewis 6:54 am EDT (AP)
Cycling-It’s not just fast riding that wins the gold 6:50 am EDT (Reuters)
BACK & FORTH: Pingpong needs some real competition 6:44 am EDT (AP)
Handball-Norway’s sure-shot women win gold 6:41 am EDT (Reuters)
Bolt’s performances unparalleled – Diack 6:35 am EDT (Reuters)
No major leaguers, no Olympics – Rogge 6:30 am EDT (Reuters)
Americans finally find offense to win bronze 6:29 am EDT (AP)
Japanese swimmer collapses at Water Cube pool 6:27 am EDT (AP)
Argentina beats Nigeria 1-0 for Olympic gold 6:18 am EDT (AP)
James emerges as leader for US men’s basketball 6:15 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Chinese fans angry after protest 6:13 am EDT (Reuters)
Norwegian women take handball gold 6:13 am EDT (AP)
Bolt joins quite a list: The only other men to win gold medals in the 100, 200 and the sprint relay at one Olympics were Carl Lewis in 1984, Bobby Morrow in 1956 and Jesse Owens in 1936. None of those greats set world records in either the 100 or 200, though, much less both.
“People can only dream of doing what he’s done. He’s basically cemented himself as a legend of track and field,” said Bolt’s relay teammate Michael Frater. “I don’t think any performance can top what he’s done here.”
If not for Michael Phelps, the Beijing Games would go down in history as the Bolt Games.
Impossible as it might have seemed after Phelps collected his Olympics-record eight golds in the pool, the 6-foot-5-inch sprinter managed to share top billing thanks to speed that stuns and charisma that gets people talking.
The Jamaicans were overwhelming favorites in the women’s 400 relay final, given that their squad boasted the 100 (Shelly-Ann Fraser) and 200 (Veronica Campbell-Brown) champions, along with the women who tied for silver in the 100 (Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson).
Second-leg runner Simpson tried to hand off the stick, vigorously shaking her hand forward, and Stewart tried to grab it, forcefully thrusting her hand backward, but they simply could not get the exchange done. Eventually, they bumped into each other, and Jamaica was disqualified. Russia won in 42.31.
Even with that disappointment, Jamaica’s six overall gold medals in track and field are one more than the U.S. team, which got No. 5 from Bryan Clay in the decathlon Friday.
Bolt third victory: Usain Bolt grabs another gold medal, Jamaican sprinter flies out in 400 relay. BEIJING — Usain Bolt loves the cameras, the cameras love Usain Bolt, and when they connected during his third victory lap of these Olympics, he smiled that infectious smile and raised three fingers.
Iflove Popular
Thank you for visting iflove.com, the fairy legend of Edward Chen the Movie Star! You may want to Find Love or subscribe to RSS feed. Enjoy or do a search!