Rio Olympics: Usain Bolt Wins Historic Eight Gold Medal, Says He’s The Greatest

The Jamaican sprinter finished in 19.78secs above Canada’s Andre de Grasse took silver in 20.02s, while France’s Christophe Lemaitre edged out Great Britain’s Adam Gemili for bronze in same time of 20.12.

The world’s fastest man was visibly disappointed crossing the line as he failed to challenge his world record of 19.19 sec.

“I wanted to run a faster time,” he said. “I knew it was going to be hard to break the record, but when I came out of the corner my legs decided, ‘Listen, we’re not going to go any faster’. I wasn’t fully happy, but I’m happy that I got the gold medal.”

After the race, Bolt knelt down to kiss the finish line goodbye as he greeted an emotional eighth Olympic title before performing his signature ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose, to huge cheers.

“I was just saying goodbye, this is my last individual event at the Olympics,” he said. “In relays you never knows what happens, so I just wanted to say goodbye.”

The three-time 100m and 200m champion is now just one 4x100m relay run away from his Olympic ‘triple triple’ – and, in his own words, sporting immortality.

“All I wanted to do was run the 200m and win an Olympic gold medal once, so to be an eight-time gold medallist now is a big deal,” he said. “But I’ve worked hard and I’ve pushed myself to be the best.

“I’ve proven to the world you can do it clean. I’ve made the sport exciting, made people want to watch it, I’ve put the sport on a different level.”

Bolt, who has now won a staggering 19 Olympic and world titles, insisted he had run his final individual Olympic race.

“I’ve proven to the world that I’m the greatest and that’s what I came here for,” he said.

“That’s is why I said it’s my last Olympics,” “I can’t prove anything else. To be eight-time Olympic gold medallist now is a big deal, it’s shocking. I’ve pushed myself to be the best. There’s nothing else I can do.”

With a third consecutive sweep of the 100m, 200m and relay sprints in sight on Friday, the world’s fastest man argued he should be in the pantheon of sporting heroes with Pele, Muhammad Ali and Michael Phelps.

“I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among Ali and Pele,” he declared.

“I’m just waiting to see what the media have to say and if they put me in that bracket,” he said when asked how he stacked up against football star Pele and boxing legend Ali.

“I’ve worked all my career, all my life for this moment. Hopefully you can read about me as one of the greatest people in sport, that’s my focus.”

Bolt has one last job in Rio, running the anchor leg for Jamaica in today’s 4x100m final and make it a clean sweep of gold medals from three consecutive Olympic Games.