Number of Indian Americans in elected offices not reflective of their population: Kamala Harris
Rio de Janeiro, Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history on Monday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81sec, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze.
Gatlin, who had been booed by the Rio crowd as he was introduced, crossed in 9.89sec with De Grasse just behind in 9.91.
Bolt galloped away in celebration after a superb win, basking in the adulation of the stadium and even taking selfies with fans during his lap of honour.
He then delighted the fans with his traditional “lightning bolt” pose as reggae blasted out of the stadium sound system.
“It was brilliant. I didn’t go so fast but I’m so happy I won. I told you guys I was going to do it,” Bolt said.
The victory left Bolt standing alone in the 120-year history of sprinting in the modern Olympic games.
No other athlete—man or woman—has ever won three consecutive individual Olympic sprint titles.
It also leaves Bolt on track to complete an incredible “triple-triple” of clinching 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles for a third consecutive Olympics.
“Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal,” Bolt added.
Bolt, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, had already earned the right to be regarded as the greatest sprinter in the history of athletics after accumulating more golds on the track than anyone else.
But the Jamaican’s latest triumph erases any lingering doubts that he deserves to be ranked alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali, Pele and Michael Jordan as the kind of once-in-a-generation athlete who transcend their sports.
Bolt’s win—his 18th gold in Olympic and World Championships since 2008 — averted what might have been a public relations disaster for the drug-tarnished world of track and field.
A corruption scandal involving the sport’s former rulers, who were accused of accepting bribes to cover up positive drug tests, and an investigation which alleged an elaborate state-sponsored doping system in Russia have plunged track and field into the worst crisis in its history.
A gold medal for Gatlin today would have made uncomfortable viewing for many—world athletics chief Sebastian Coe among them—who have advocated that serial doping offenders should be banned for life.
But those fears were swept away by the smiling, laughing figure of Bolt, for so long the sport’s most charismatic showman.
Gatlin, who has served two drug bans during his long career, made a powerful start to lead over the first 50 metres. But as soon as Bolt’s head came around the midpoint the American was in trouble and the defending champion surged home around a metre clear of the field.
Britain climbs up medals table
Britain became the biggest winner at Rio as their athletes pocketed five gold medals to overtake China on the medals table, only behind the United States.
Britain’s gold haul was hightlighted by Max Whitlock’s two gymnastics golds in one day. the 23-year-old talent won both the men’s floor exercise and pommel horse titles.
Whitlock first stood out of a strong squad including all-around winner Kohei Uchimura and world champion Kenzo Shirai for the floor title and less than two hours later, Whitolck edged experienced teammate Louis Smith in the pommel horse final.
“It’s just an incredible feeling,” said Whitlock, who had already got an all-around bronze medal on Wednesday.
“All the gymnasts out there know how much work goes into it. You get one minute to show what you’ve been working on for the last however many years.” In tennis, Andy Murray became the first player to win two gold medals in the men’s singles event as he scraped past Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to retain his London 2012 Olympic Games title.
The newly crowned Rio Games champion hugged Del Potro after the four-hour match, both men with tears in the eyes.
Britain’s Justin Rose won the men’s golf gold medal on the sport’s return to the Olympic Games, outlasting Sweden’s Henrik Stenson on the final day to secure the two-shot victory.
“That felt better than anything I’ve ever won,” said Rose. “It was the best tournament I’ve ever done.” Jason Kenny defeated Callum Skinner in an all-Britain final to defend his cycling individual sprint gold and win his second gold of the Rio Games.
Kenny and Skinner combined with Philip Hindes to win the team sprint Thursday night.
China bagged two gold medals with lifter Meng Suping claiming the women’s over 75kg category and diver Shi Tingmao winning the women’s 3m springboard title.
The diving gold was also Shi’s second after she won the women’s 3m synchronized springboard with Wu Minxia days ago.
“Today I can finally relax,” said Shi, who finished with 406.5 points to beat her compatriot He Zi by 18.15 points.
“I will probably just go back to the Olympic Village and sleep all day long and then cheer for the other athletes from the Chinese team,” Shi added.
China has won four of the five diving gold medals decided so far at the Rio Games.
Elsewhere, South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk shocked the Olympic Stadium by smashing the world record as he clinched the gold medal in the men’s 400m.
The 24-year-old finished in 43.03 seconds, beating the previous record held by Michael Johnson of the US by 15 hundredths of a second.
Johnson’s mark had been one of the longest standing records in athletics, having stood since August 1999.
In the morning session of the athletics competitions, Jemima Sumgong claimed Kenya’s first gold medal of the Rio Olympics by winning the women’s marathon.
After Sunday’s finals, the US still tops medals table on 26 golds, while Britain and China are level on 15 gold medals with Britain placing second due to more silvers.
