© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
"Then, he turned his yellow hat backward, kneeled down and gave the crowd what it really wanted."
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — If there were any doubts, it took less than 10 seconds — 9.81, to be exact — for Usain Bolt to erase them.
He is the Olympic champion once again.
Jamaica Stand Up!!!
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) August 15, 2016
This for you my people
On a muggy Sunday night in Rio, the Jamaican superstar won the signature event in track and field in a runaway and added this line to his already gleaming resume: first person to capture three straight 100-meter titles at the Olympics.
The 6-foot-5 sprinter/celebrity overcame his typically slow unfurling from the blocks, gradually worked up speed, caught American Justin Gatlin with 40 meters left and was celebrating — pointing at his chest with his thumb — before he crossed the finish line.
Bolt beat Gatlin, who was greeted by the fans with raucous boos, by .08 seconds. Andre de Grasse of Canada won the bronze.
A few minutes after the finish, Bolt was unlacing those now-famous gold spikes and taking selfies with the fans. Then, he turned his yellow hat backward, kneeled down and gave the crowd what it really wanted. It's that famous, arching "To the World Pose" that he debuted eight years ago in Beijing.
They're celebrating tonight in Kingston, Jamaica! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/j5yvWWVtV1
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
Chants of "Bolt, Bolt, Bolt" rang out from the near-capacity stadium. The show lived up to its billing.
No, this wasn't Bolt at his fastest — or even his best. The man who burst onto the scene with his hot-dogging world record eight years ago in Beijing turns 30 after these Olympics and says these will be his last.
Watch @UsainBolt win his third straight 100m #gold: https://t.co/RbLXMrnpWZ pic.twitter.com/9Dluw4jDsS
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
Want to leave a tip?
We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?
more stories
Sign up for the Blaze newsletter
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time.
© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Get the stories that matter most delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time.