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André Lowe, Senior Staff ReporterLONDON, England:
It's the way 2012 Games were meant to end; 80,000 spectators inside the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]London [COLOR=blue !important]Olympic[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] Stadium and millions across the world were left breathless. They wanted it and it was duly delivered - a world record in the men's 4x100m final.
Three [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]championships[/COLOR][/COLOR], three world records; the world watched on in expectation and like they did at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, the Jamaicans once again brought the curtains down in fine style.
Anchored by a motivated Usain Bolt, Jamaica's 4x100m quartet, which was completed by Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake, created [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]history[/COLOR][/COLOR] inside the London Olympic Stadium, dismantling their own mark of 37.04 to become the first team to go below 37 seconds, with a jaw-dropping, 36.84 run for the gold medal.
The win bagged Jamaica's 12th medal at the London Olympic Games, which will go down in history as the nation's best-ever performance at this level in terms of the number of medals.
This ia quite a welcome accomplishment for a nation celebrating its 50th year of Independence.
The United States (US) were second, equalling Jamaica's old world record of 37.04, with Trinidad and Tobago getting the bronze in 38.2 after Canada was disqualified.
For the Jamaicans, it was sweet confirmation of their dominance in the sprints, as it was the first time they were actually beating the Americans since the reign began in Beijing.
"They have been saying that we have never actually beaten them or broken the world record with the US in the race because they have either dropped the baton or had some mishap, so I wanted everything to go perfect; them getting the stick around, doing the best they can, and us beating them at it," said second-leg runner Michael Frater, who is one of three members, along with Bolt and Carter, to have featured in all three of Jamaica's world-record teams.
Blake, who was getting his first [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Olympic [COLOR=blue !important]gold[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] medal after silver-medal finishes in the 100m and 200m, and was also a member of the team that ran 37.04 team last year, had fun rubbing it in on the Americans.
NO EXCUSE
"There is no excuse for them (US) this time around. They ran well and got our old record ... and I commend them, and I am glad their stick came around … we showed them that we can run 36 seconds, but those guys aren't ready for it," said a smiling Blake, who in truth had a 'beastly' third leg against American Tyson Gay, who he says he enjoys running against.
"I love to run with Tyson Gay. He always pushes me. When I saw him, I said, 'Look, yuh dead'," Blake joked, referring to his determination to get the better of the American.
"I know he was shaking when he saw me on his leg, but again they ran pretty well also and we have to commend them."
Like his teammates, Bolt said he was never worried about the Americans and that it was just a matter or how fast he and his teammates would run.
"It was not a shock. It was really about how fast we could actually run and we hadn't had the cleanest baton changes, but I am happy we came out here and got the record and the win," said Bolt.
"It was never a worry. I have heard them talk, but it was never a worry because we know what we are capable of. Yohan has stepped up, I have stepped up, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter are very fast, so there was never any worry for me," said Bolt.
This was Jamaica's third Olympic medal in the men's 4x100m and their second gold.
Jamaica also won a bronze medal in the women's 4x400m in 3:20.95 yesterday behind the US, 3:16.87 and Russia, 3:20.23.
André Lowe, Senior Staff ReporterLONDON, England:
It's the way 2012 Games were meant to end; 80,000 spectators inside the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]London [COLOR=blue !important]Olympic[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] Stadium and millions across the world were left breathless. They wanted it and it was duly delivered - a world record in the men's 4x100m final.
Three [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]championships[/COLOR][/COLOR], three world records; the world watched on in expectation and like they did at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, the Jamaicans once again brought the curtains down in fine style.
Anchored by a motivated Usain Bolt, Jamaica's 4x100m quartet, which was completed by Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake, created [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]history[/COLOR][/COLOR] inside the London Olympic Stadium, dismantling their own mark of 37.04 to become the first team to go below 37 seconds, with a jaw-dropping, 36.84 run for the gold medal.
The win bagged Jamaica's 12th medal at the London Olympic Games, which will go down in history as the nation's best-ever performance at this level in terms of the number of medals.
This ia quite a welcome accomplishment for a nation celebrating its 50th year of Independence.
The United States (US) were second, equalling Jamaica's old world record of 37.04, with Trinidad and Tobago getting the bronze in 38.2 after Canada was disqualified.
For the Jamaicans, it was sweet confirmation of their dominance in the sprints, as it was the first time they were actually beating the Americans since the reign began in Beijing.
"They have been saying that we have never actually beaten them or broken the world record with the US in the race because they have either dropped the baton or had some mishap, so I wanted everything to go perfect; them getting the stick around, doing the best they can, and us beating them at it," said second-leg runner Michael Frater, who is one of three members, along with Bolt and Carter, to have featured in all three of Jamaica's world-record teams.
Blake, who was getting his first [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Olympic [COLOR=blue !important]gold[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] medal after silver-medal finishes in the 100m and 200m, and was also a member of the team that ran 37.04 team last year, had fun rubbing it in on the Americans.
NO EXCUSE
"There is no excuse for them (US) this time around. They ran well and got our old record ... and I commend them, and I am glad their stick came around … we showed them that we can run 36 seconds, but those guys aren't ready for it," said a smiling Blake, who in truth had a 'beastly' third leg against American Tyson Gay, who he says he enjoys running against.
"I love to run with Tyson Gay. He always pushes me. When I saw him, I said, 'Look, yuh dead'," Blake joked, referring to his determination to get the better of the American.
"I know he was shaking when he saw me on his leg, but again they ran pretty well also and we have to commend them."
Like his teammates, Bolt said he was never worried about the Americans and that it was just a matter or how fast he and his teammates would run.
"It was not a shock. It was really about how fast we could actually run and we hadn't had the cleanest baton changes, but I am happy we came out here and got the record and the win," said Bolt.
"It was never a worry. I have heard them talk, but it was never a worry because we know what we are capable of. Yohan has stepped up, I have stepped up, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter are very fast, so there was never any worry for me," said Bolt.
This was Jamaica's third Olympic medal in the men's 4x100m and their second gold.
Jamaica also won a bronze medal in the women's 4x400m in 3:20.95 yesterday behind the US, 3:16.87 and Russia, 3:20.23.