Written at Rio 2016.com
Bolt runs final 200m in style
The Jamaican superstar won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m sprint final at Rio 2016, crossing the line in a time of 19.78 seconds, but damp conditions meant he was unable to deliver a world record time as he had hoped. “I wasn’t happy with the time and my body did not respond to be down the straight, ” said Bolt, who turns 30 on Sunday (21 August). “But I’m getting older, so I am pleased to get the gold medal.”
Asked if this was his final 200m, Bolt replied: “I don’t know about the 200m in the future. Next year at the World Championships it will likely just be the 100m, even though my coach keeps trying to convince me otherwise. But personally for me, I think this is the last time I will run the 200m.”
Bolt holds the Brazilian and Jamaican flags after the historic win in the 200m (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Brownlee brothers’ triathlon one-two
Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee defended his London 2012 title in the men’s triathlon and shared the podium at Rio 2016 with his younger brother, Jonathan, who won silver. The champion said they wanted the double gold four years ago but waiting for it was no less sweet. “This time we pulled it off,” he said after beating his brother by a slim seven seconds.
“When Jonny crossed the line, I said to him, ‘We’ve done it’. We’ve both had tough years. We push each other to the max. To see my little brother come over the line 10 seconds after you is phenomenal. It’s so satisfying.”
Overboard with joy
Brazil’s Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze won the women’s 49erFX gold medal for Brazil’s only medal in sailing. In a dramatic finish, the duo snatched the lead away from New Zealand’s Alex Maloney and Molly Meech late in the race and held off the Kiwis to win by two seconds.
Grael, the daughter of Torben Grael who counts two golds among his five Olympic sailing medals, and Kunze hugged following their win and tumbled into Guanabara Bay, capsizing their boat.
‘City of canoes’ delivers two-time medallist
Brazilian canoeist Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos became his country’s first medallist in the sport and he added a second piece of hardware today – a bronze in the C1 200m. He won silver in the C1 1000m on 16 August. Queiroz dos Santos’s success may have been written in the stars. He was born in the small town of Ubaitaba, which in the indigenous Tupi-Guarani language means ‘city of canoes,’ and he survived three near fatal accidents, including a kidnapping at the age of five.
Another first, this one for Argentina
Argentina won its first field hockey gold medal, beating Belgium 4-2 in a gripping men’s final. Argentine fans, more used to their women’s success after four straight Olympic medals, came in droves to give the Olympic Hockey Stadium a home-field advantage.
Belgium scored first, but Argentina led 2-1 before the end of the first quarter. The Belgians peppered the Argentine goal but goaltender Juan Vivaldi was supreme, and Agustin Mazzilli scored on an empty net in the last seconds to cap the men’s team’s greatest achievement.
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