More gold for Bolt; record for Jamaica

Associated Press

LONDON

Be it a gold medal or a souvenir from a record relay run, Usain Bolt always gets what he wants at the Olympics.

The Jamaican will leave London a perfect 3 for 3 — three events, three victories — just the way he departed Beijing four years ago.

Almost even with the last U.S. runner when he got the baton for the anchor leg of the 4x100 meters, Bolt steadily pulled away down the stretch, gritting his teeth and leaning at the line to cap his perfect Summer Games by leading Jamaica to victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds Saturday night.

“A wonderful end to a wonderful week,” Bolt said. “What else do I need to do to prove myself as a legend?”

After crossing the line, he pleaded with an official to let him keep the yellow baton he was clutching. Told he’d be disqualified if he didn’t hand it over, Bolt complied, and some nearby spectators booed.

Bolt added the relay gold to the ones he earned in the 100 in 9.63 seconds last Sunday — the second-fastest time in history — and the 200 in 19.32 on Thursday. The runner-up in both individual sprints, Bolt’s pal and training partner Yohan Blake, ran the third leg of the relay, following Nesta Carter and Michael Frater.

The U.S. quartet of Trell Kimmons, 100 bronze medalist Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey got the silver in 37.04, equaling the old record that Bolt helped set at last year’s world championships. Trinidad & Tobago took the bronze in 38.12. Canada, which was third across the line, was disqualified for running outside its lane, and its appeal was rejected.

As Blake and Gay rounded the race’s final curve, they were pretty much in sync, stride for stride.

But when that duo was done, the relay came down to Bolt vs. Bailey, who was fifth in the 100 meters in 9.88.

Really not a fair matchup.

British runner Mo Farah won the 5,000 meters in 13 minutes, 41.66 seconds to add that gold to last Saturday’s in the 10,000.

In his own bit of Boltesque showmanship, Farah plopped down on his back and did a few situps.

On the last night of track and field action at the stadium — the final event, the men’s marathon, will be run through the city’s streets today — other golds went to the United States in the women’s 4x400-meter relay; Anna Chicherova of Russia in the women’s high jump; Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s javelin; and Mariya Savinova of Russia in the women’s 800, with Caster Semenya of South Africa getting the silver three years after being forced to take gender tests.

The U.S. victory in the 4x400-meter relay allowed Allyson Felix to collect her third gold medal, after those in the 200 and the 4x100. She’s the first American woman with three track golds at a single Olympics since 1988, when Florence Griffith-Joyner won the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay.

“To have all this happen,” Felix said, “to really accomplish every goal that I set out, is such a blessing.”

What was supposed to be a celebration lap for the Canadians in the 4x100 relay turned into an Olympic moment Justyn Warner wished he could forget.

Moments after taking third in the 4x100-meter final on Saturday night, Canada was disqualified for stepping outside of its lane.

Warner and his teammates were wrapped in flags and just about to set out on a slow jog around the track to soak up the moment.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened,” Warner said as he sobbed.

So incensed was Warner that he tossed the Canadian flag to the ground. Immediately after it left his hand, he regretted his actions.

“I didn’t mean to throw it,” Warner explained. “It’s hard. It’s not any of our faults.”

Jared Connaughton blamed himself for the blunder. He said the lane infraction occurred on the third section, soon after he took the baton.