Bolt Scores Triple Triple Again: 'I Am the Greatest'

Usain Bolt kneeled down and gave the track one final kiss, then flattened his hand, reached to the ground, and slapped the white number "3'' painted at the finish line, reports AP. Three Olympics, three races at each, three gold medals every time. The man who has transcended track to become a world-class celebrity bid a blazing-fast farewell to the Rio Games—and, he insists, the Olympics altogether—Friday night with yet another anchor leg for the ages. He turned a close 4x100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27 seconds. He had previously won gold in the 100- and 200-meters, as in the previous Games.

"There you go," he said. "I am the greatest." Japan won the silver medal, finishing .33 seconds behind. The US finished the race third but endured yet another relay debacle—disqualified because leadoff runner Mike Rodgers was ruled to have passed the baton to Justin Gatlin before the start of the first exchange zone. That promoted Canada to the bronze medal. As for Bolt, he turns 30 on Sunday and says this is his final Olympics. "Yeah, this is the last one guys." (More Usain Bolt stories.)