Usain Bolt has on Thursday evening sealed his place as one of the Greatest Of All Time Athletes after winning the mens’ 200m finals at the 31st Olympiad.
The 6ft 5′ athletics star became ‘immortal’ as he describes it after completing the ‘triple double’, his last Individual race of his exceptional career at a major athletics event.
To put it in perspective Bolt is the first man to get a double triple, i.e win the 100 and 200 meters and 4x100m relay in two consecutive Olympic Games, and now he has won the 100 and 200m title thrice.
Bolt who turns 30 on the last day of the Olympics August 21 ran a time of 19:78 secs, way slower that his 19:19 world record set in Berlin in 2009, but just enough to clinch him his 8th gold medal. He was also the only man to run under 19secs in the race.
21 year old budding Canadian star Andre DeGrasse, the youngest in the final came in second with a time of 21:02secs, while French man Christophe Lemaitre came in third with 20:12 seconds. Lemaitre who couldn’t believe his luck knocked out Briton Adam Gemili to 4th place beating him by 1000th of a second. Gemili also ran 20:12seconds.
Bolt is now ready to complete his ‘triple triple’ quest as he hopes to win another gold medal, his 9th, in the mens’ 4x100m relays which comes up on Saturday 20th August, 2:35am Nigerian time.
The Jamaican is not just one of the greatest athletes to have ever walked the face of the earth, he is one of the the most entertaining athletes in the last 10 years on the tracks.
The showmanship that he brings to athletics is one that will be missed immensely by sports lovers now that he has graciously bowed out.
Congratulations lightning BOLT!!!
He has always been a legend, he said he would do it, and he is delivering. Now that is a man of his word. #legend #GOAT #theking
Manny the long lost MDB’er