By — Amber Partida Amber Partida Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/last-race-usain-bolt-fastest-man-alive Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The last race for Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive World Aug 4, 2017 1:36 PM EDT The world’s fastest man alive will sprint for the last time at the World Athletics Championships in London. Usain Bolt, 31, will compete in the 100 meter final Saturday, and the 4×100 relay race on August 12. After competing in three Summer Olympics, Bolt will end his career the only way he knows how – by putting on a show. In his last conference on Tuesday, Bolt said his legacy would be “unbeatable.” The six-foot-five sprinter was asked if he expects his records to be broken. “I don’t want to see it go,” Bolt said. “I want my kids to see my records when they’re 15 and 20 and I can say ‘you see, I’m still the best.” The Jamaican track star first captivated the world when he broke three world records at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. Bolt set the new world and Olympic record with a 9.69-second first-place finish the 100-meter race. He then went on to set another world and Olympic record at the 2008 games in the 200-meter race, with a time of 19.30 seconds. He also helped set the new world and Olympic record for the 4×100 meter race, which the Jamaican team finished in 37.10 seconds. The feats made Bolt the first man to set world records in all three races at a single Olympics. But he wasn’t done there. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Bolt shattered his own record in the 100-meter race by taking gold for a second time in just 9.63 seconds. Soon after he took gold in the 200-meter race, and then helped the Jamaican team win gold yet again in the 4×100 relay. Bolt returned to the Olympic spotlight for the last time at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. He took gold once more while smiling for the camera during the 100-meter race, which he finished in 9.81 seconds. In the process, Bolt became the first athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in two events, an accomplishment known as a ‘triple double.’ He also took gold in Rio in both the 200-meter race and the 4×100 relay with the Jamaican team. Bolt finished his Olympic career with eight gold medals. Toward the end of the conference Tuesday, Bolt was asked if he would change his mind about retiring. “I’m looking forward to the next race without me,” Bolt said. “The next championship should be fun, it’s about seeing who can hold their nerve.” Bolt will race at 9:45 p.m. Saturday in the same stadium where he broke world records five years ago. Here is the list of his Olympic gold medals: 2008 – Gold in 100m (9.69s) 2008 – Gold in 200m (19.30s) 2008 – Gold in 4x100m (37.10s)* 2012 – Gold in 100m (9.63s) 2012 – Gold in 200m (19.32s) 2012 – Gold in 4x100m (36.84s) 2016 – Gold in 100m (9.81s) 2016 – Gold in 200m (19.78s) 2016 – Gold in 4x100m (37.27s) *Revoked in 2017, after one of Bolt’s teammates failed a drug test. By — Amber Partida Amber Partida
The world’s fastest man alive will sprint for the last time at the World Athletics Championships in London. Usain Bolt, 31, will compete in the 100 meter final Saturday, and the 4×100 relay race on August 12. After competing in three Summer Olympics, Bolt will end his career the only way he knows how – by putting on a show. In his last conference on Tuesday, Bolt said his legacy would be “unbeatable.” The six-foot-five sprinter was asked if he expects his records to be broken. “I don’t want to see it go,” Bolt said. “I want my kids to see my records when they’re 15 and 20 and I can say ‘you see, I’m still the best.” The Jamaican track star first captivated the world when he broke three world records at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. Bolt set the new world and Olympic record with a 9.69-second first-place finish the 100-meter race. He then went on to set another world and Olympic record at the 2008 games in the 200-meter race, with a time of 19.30 seconds. He also helped set the new world and Olympic record for the 4×100 meter race, which the Jamaican team finished in 37.10 seconds. The feats made Bolt the first man to set world records in all three races at a single Olympics. But he wasn’t done there. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Bolt shattered his own record in the 100-meter race by taking gold for a second time in just 9.63 seconds. Soon after he took gold in the 200-meter race, and then helped the Jamaican team win gold yet again in the 4×100 relay. Bolt returned to the Olympic spotlight for the last time at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. He took gold once more while smiling for the camera during the 100-meter race, which he finished in 9.81 seconds. In the process, Bolt became the first athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in two events, an accomplishment known as a ‘triple double.’ He also took gold in Rio in both the 200-meter race and the 4×100 relay with the Jamaican team. Bolt finished his Olympic career with eight gold medals. Toward the end of the conference Tuesday, Bolt was asked if he would change his mind about retiring. “I’m looking forward to the next race without me,” Bolt said. “The next championship should be fun, it’s about seeing who can hold their nerve.” Bolt will race at 9:45 p.m. Saturday in the same stadium where he broke world records five years ago. Here is the list of his Olympic gold medals: 2008 – Gold in 100m (9.69s) 2008 – Gold in 200m (19.30s) 2008 – Gold in 4x100m (37.10s)* 2012 – Gold in 100m (9.63s) 2012 – Gold in 200m (19.32s) 2012 – Gold in 4x100m (36.84s) 2016 – Gold in 100m (9.81s) 2016 – Gold in 200m (19.78s) 2016 – Gold in 4x100m (37.27s) *Revoked in 2017, after one of Bolt’s teammates failed a drug test.