CGames: Unstoppable Bolt anchors Jamaica to relay gold
Sprint superstar Usain Bolt added Commonwealth gold to his many accolades on Saturday when he anchored the Jamaican team to victory in the men’s 4x100m relay.
In a fitting end to the track and field programme at Hampden Park, Jason Livermore, 100m gold medallist Kemar Bailey-Cole and bronze medallist Nickel Ashmeade all safely negotiated their legs before the baton was passed on to the towering figure of Bolt.
The 27-year-old, who has won six Olympic gold medals and eight world titles but was making his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow, made no mistake with his anchor run in light drizzle on a soaked track, charging through the line in a Games record of 37.58 seconds.
Coming into the final stretch neck-and-neck with Danny Talbot, Bolt made fast work of dropping the English sprinter, teeth clenched, arms pumping and eyes glued on the stadium big screen, showing absolutely no let-up as he scorched through the line.
Ever the showman, Bolt had earlier delighted the raucous sell-out crowd by dancing along to the Proclaimers hit song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)", lyrics shown on the big screen for a deafening stadium karaoke moment.
Bolt dancing prior to the final of the men's 4 x 100m relay athletics event.
Striking his trademark “lightning bolt” pose as he was introduced further raised the decibels before he got down to business.
“It means a lot. Commonwealth gold is the only medal missing from my collection,” said Bolt, who did not race the 100 or 200m events after a nagging foot injury forced him out of the Jamaican national championships, which served as a trial for these Games.
“I’m happy to be here and sorry I didn’t manage to run the individual events because the energy out here is wonderful.”
There was, however, heartbreak for Nigerian Blessing Okagbare as her team could only claim silver behind the powerful Jamaican quartet of Kerron Stewart, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Schillonie Calvert and double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women’s 4x100m relay.
Okagbare had already claimed the sprint double at Hampden Park and was seeking a golden treble.
But she and her teammates were outgunned by Jamaica, victorious in a new Games record of 41.83sec.
The indomitable Kenyan middle- and long-distance team continued their amazing form on the Glasgow track.
Source: AFP
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