Olympic king Bolt seals legend status

Another golden hat-trick at the Games in London was a dream come true for Jamaican sprint star, writes AFP.

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt cemented his status as a true legend of track and field by claiming a second Olympic treble gold medal haul at the London Games. Bolt followed up his podium-topping showing in Beijing in 2008 by becoming the first sprinter to defend the 100m and 200m titles.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates winning the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

He then led home the 4x100m relay team in a world record-breaking 36.84 seconds to cap a pulsating nine days of track and field at the Olympic Stadium in east London.

"It's what I came here to do. I'm now a legend, I'm the greatest athlete to ever live," said Bolt.

"For 2013, the objective is to go as fast as possible and win the 100m title at the world championships in Moscow," which run between Aug 10-18.

Rarely can there have been a week's athletics as enthralling and entertaining as that at the London Olympics.

Every session at the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium was a sell-out, and the knowledgeable public helped make for an electric atmosphere, notably on the first Saturday when Britain won three gold medals in the space of 45 frenetic minutes.

While Bolt stole the headlines for his sprinting prowess, David Rudisha also produced an outstanding performance on the track, although his Kenyan team endured a relatively disappointing Games.

The Masai tribesman obliterated his own world record in the 800m, running 1:40.91 in the highest quality two-lap race ever seen. Last-placed Andrew Osagie's time would have won him gold in the Beijing Games by 0.88 sec.

Britain's gold medal rush was kicked off by poster-girl Jessica Ennis, who dominated the heptathlon.