Bolt: ‘I am now a living legend’

London  — His place in history already secure, Usain Bolt added to his legend by anchoring Jamaica’s 4×100-meter relay team to a world record and capping his second Olympics in a row with three gold medals.

After setting three world records in Beijing four years ago, the “NEW WR” signal didn’t flash up on the timing clock for Bolt until the last race on the track at the London Games, as he sped away from U.S. anchor Ryan Bailey to cross in 36.84 seconds. That shaved two-tenths of a second off Jamaica’s old world mark.

Only a man like Bolt could upstage Mo Farah. The Briton made it a second Super Saturday for a frenzied home crowd at the Olympic Stadium, winning the 5,000 meters to clinch a long distance double at the London Games.

As good as he was, Farah realized the night belonged to Bolt.

“What he does for the sport, it is absolutely amazing,” Farah said. “We take it for granted. We are not going to see a legend like him again.”

After winning the 100 and 200 to anoint himself as a “living legend,” Bolt went full-throttle one last time at the games, gritting his teeth as his giant stride again made the difference. This time he ran through and dipped at the line to get the world record and turn the U.S.-Jamaican men’s sprint rivalry in the favor of the small Caribbean nation of 2.9 million.

“It’s just to top it off. To put a double triple, that’s what it’s done,” Bolt said.

‘Wonderful end’

“A wonderful end to a wonderful week,” Bolt said. “What else do I need to do to prove myself as a legend?”

The United States took silver in 37.04, equaling the old mark that Bolt and co. set last year at the world championships.

Then the party started. Bolt slapped his chest and held three fingers upward. His full trademark “To the World” pose followed and a long parade of flag waving for a nation that celebrated its 50th year of independence during the London Games.

The 80,000-capacity crowd could not get enough, chanting: “We want Bolt. We want Bolt.” The showman obliged.

He started shaking his fingers, set off a crowd wave around both tiers of the giant Olympic Stadium, and followed up with his playful antics. He has enchanted the fans, and entranced the competition.

“When I took the baton, I was thinking ’run, run, run for my life,”’ Bailey said. “But Usain Bolt is a monster. I was just trying to run.”

“He has run the times and he’s broken the records. I can definitely give him the title of that — he’s a living legend,” Bailey said.

IOC President Jacques Rogge doesn’t rate him quite that highly yet, preferring to call him an “icon” who needs to prove his greatness over more than two Olympics.

“First of all, I would like to answer with a question: what else do I need to do to prove myself as a legend?”’ Bolt said, before listing most of his records, titles and medals.

“I don’t know what else to do, really. Next time you see him I think you need to ask him what Usain needs to do that no human man has ever done,” Bolt said. /ap