Usain Bolt had three goals for the London 2012 Olympic Games: first was to silence his critics with outstanding performances; second was to be the first runner to win the sprint Double, the 100- and 200-meter dash, in consecutive games.
His third goal was to repeat his Beijing performance and close out the Games with a win in the 4X100 relay, capturing gold in all three events he entered.
He might not have silenced his critics; some folks will always complain. But Usain Bolt, by succeeding with the other two endeavors, has certainly proved that he is the fastest man in the world. And by leading his team to a new world record in the relay, he has capped his 2012 performance with a gleaming crown.
Bolt ran the closing leg, starting even with U.S. runner Ryan Bailey and finishing in 36.84, two-tenths faster than the Jamaican team’s old world record.
Bolt has already said he will return to try for a third sweep at Rio. After the relay, he told London2012.com, “I’ve thought about it but I think it’s going to be very hard because Yohan [training partner Yohan Blake], he’s just come into the game and he’s running pretty well, and I’m sure there’s going to be a lot more cats coming up to run.
“I’m just happy. I'll take it a step at a time.”
