Unbeatable Bolt signs off with triple-triple

“There you have it, I am now the greatest”, he explained.

Estelle Mossely celebrated her 24th birthday in style as she beat China’s Yin Junhua to become the first Frenchwoman to win Olympic boxing gold. He said it once more as Friday night turned into Saturday morning.

Victory was not guaranteed when Bolt took the baton for the anchor leg, but he powered down the straight to cross in 37.27 seconds before soaking up the acclaim from an adoring crowd.

De Grasse, also 21 and in his Olympic debut, came the closest to challenging Bolt in Rio, pushing the pace in the 200m semi-final and trying to challenge him again in Thursday’s final, where he won silver.

Clement, who won silver in the event in the 2008 Olympics, said he had been determined to win gold this year after injuries derailed his 2012 Games.

As Bolt roared past the finish line, the streets erupted.

“I’m sorry guys”, said Bolt, who has a vacation on tap next. With typical understated modesty, the 29-year-old sprinter told reporters after the race: “Well there you go”.

Later team-mate Blake said he would talk to Bolt and encourage him to compete four years hence in Japan.

Earlier on Friday, Liu Hong’s long wait for an Olympic medal came to a happy ending when the Chinese world record holder won a thrilling 20km race walk.

The American men crossed the line third, in 37.62.

The disqualification came after the US exchanged illegally outside the zone at the first change.

Gatlin said afterwards that he didn’t believe in good or bad luck, only “good preparation”. The Canadians were bumped up to third, 37.64.

WRESTLING UPSET: Defending Olympic and world champion Jordan Burroughs of Sicklerville was stunned in the quarterfinals of men’s freestyle wrestling by Russia’s Aniuar Geduev, 3-2, in the 74-kilogram division to hand the American just his third global loss and knock him out of gold-medal contention. “He’s proven it over and over, every time”.

The Americans however were granted a reprieve when race officials found that runner Allyson Felix had been barged by a Brazilian rival. The win has marked an unprecedented triple gold win at the Olympics in a sport where to claim one gold medal can be a lifetime achievement. The 36.84, however, in the relay was a world record mark.

The Jamaicans, anchored by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, ran 41.36 for silver – third-fastest in Olympic history.

There has been no official confirmation of the news, but, if he is stripped of his gold, then it would nearly certainly mean all of his relay team-mates, including Bolt, also forfeiting their medals from the event. “It’s come true”, Bolt said. No world record, but he still owns that one, too – 36.84 seconds, set four years ago at the London Games.

The Olympics is going to miss the Lightning Bolt pose that has lit up the last three Games at a time when athletics desperately needs a hero.