Rio 2016: Usain Bolt wins third-straight gold in 200m

For the third consecutive Olympic Games, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt captured a gold medal in the Men’s 200m of track and field from Rio 2016

Usain Bolt came into the 2016 Rio Olympics looking to do something that few before him ever have and something that no one ever had done before as well. First, he wanted to win his ninth overall gold medal to tie for the most ever by one athlete in Olympic history. Secondly, he wanted to become the first athlete to win gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in three-straight Olympic Games.

After having already gotten that feat started by winning the gold medal in the Men’s 100m, Thursday night was the next step for Usain Bolt. He’d be competing in the Men’s 200m final after he was tested in his semifinal race (as much as he can be tested) by Canada’s Andre de Grasse. Unfortunately for De Grasse, no one would be on the same plane as Bolt on Thursday.

Coming into the turn right off the blocks, the ineffable Usain Bolt jumped out ahead of the pack by a wide margin. As they entered the straight-away for the final 100m, it was Bolt and then everyone else in the pack well behind him. While it wasn’t his world-record time, it was a 19.79-second run of the 200m, which was more than enough to get him the gold medal.

Bolt completed what’s being called his triple-double as he’s won three consecutive gold medals in the two biggest men’s track and field events at the Olympics. Now he’ll have his eyes set on the triple-triple as he still has the 4x100m relay ahead. That will be his final Olympic event of his career. But if the 100m and 200m are any indication, he won’t be going out with anything but his ninth gold medal.