Anchor leg: Bolt gets gold No. 9 with another runaway win

Fact: Jamaica won gold in the men’s 4×100-meter relay on Friday night, giving Usain Bolt the triple-triple.

Usain Bolt drew down the curtain on his brilliant Olympic career by securing a sweep of the sprint titles for a third successive Games when Jamaica successfully defended the 4×100 metres relay crown yesterday. The men came in just behind Jamaica in their preliminary heat and will run for the U.S.’s 18th gold medal in the 4×400-meter relay Saturday.

Team GB’s Richard Kilty, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington and Adam Gemili could only manage a sixth-place finish after struggling to keep pace with the leading pack. Even after the 2008 Olympics, when Bolt smashed the 100-meter world record with such exuberant style he was chastised for not running faster, no one imagined an ending like this.

The men’s hammer final was won by Dilshod Nazarov – Tajikistan’s first Olympic gold medallist – while Matej Toth and Liu Hong were the respective champions in the men’s 50km and women’s 20km race walks.

Bolt, who said at the start of the week that he would be an “immortal” if he claimed the “triple triple” had no doubt that he deserves more acclaim. “I had no work to do but to just run to the line”, the Jamaican told reporters at the press conference after wrapping up the victory and the elaborate celebrations.

“I told you guys I was gonna do it”, the never-modest Bolt told NBC.

And in case you were wondering what happens behind the scenes when an American gets drunk and causes trouble overseas, there’s this illuminating look at the work of consular officers.

The track drama Friday and the prospect of a Brazil football final on Saturday nearly overcame the embarrassment felt by many Olympians after star swimmer Ryan Lochte had to apologise for inventing a story that he had been mugged in Rio.

She entered the games as one of just six women to have won four golds in track and field. Michael Jordan trying to come back with the Wizards, Muhammad Ali getting pummeled by Larry Holmes, Willie Mays stumbling in the outfield. “It was a nightmare”, said Gatlin, who, along with his teammates, found out about the DQ while parading the USA flag around the track.

South Korea’s Park In-bee goes into the last day of the women’s golf – returning to the Olympics after 112 years – with a two stroke lead over New Zealand’s world No 1 Lydia Ko.

And to make matters worse they were then disqualified afterwards for an illegal passover, meaning Canada picked up the bronze instead.

The U.S. team was disqualified – again. I look at it as accomplishment. This is what I came here for and that is what I did. Following his 100m triumph at London 2012 he celebrated by partying in his room with three members of the Swedish women’s handball team, tweeting a picture of the four of them together.

“It’s a relief because I’ve had all this pressure over the years to achieve gold medals, back-to-back all the time”.

“There is nothing like playing at home and having the chance of winning something that we’ve dreamed about for so long”, Brazil striker Neymar said. “It’s been wonderful and I really appreciate you guys, it’s been nothing but love, it gives me goosebumps”.

“I feel proud for both of us”.

A Jamaican team containing Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, took silver in 41.36.

The 29-year-old superstar, widely seen as the greatest sprinter in history, stormed over the line in 37.27 seconds to trigger an eruption of adulation in the Olympic Stadium.

It was a metaphor for Bolt’s career – he just left the competition floundering.

The American men, who have had chronic problems handling the baton in this event in recent Olympics, finished third.