The Greatest finale

Bolt clocks eighth Olympic gold and has career finish line in sight

USAIN Bolt and slowing down don’t really go in the same sentence.

But the fastest runner in history admitted after winning his eighth Olympic gold medal that he was finally showing his age which meant it was time to exit the sport.

Bolt was visibly disappointed as he crossed the line in the 200m final despite winning easily.

It was the time of 19.78sec which angered him given he’d desperately wanted to challenge his world record of 19.19sec at his final appearance on the Olympic stage.

To be fair conditions didn’t help him with a rain shower hitting the Olympic Stadium just 15 minutes before his race.

“The sadness for me would be that it is actually a slower time,” Bolt said.

“I really wanted to run faster but I came out here to win and that is the first thing. I am happy about that.

“I wasn’t happy with the time and my body did not respond down the straight.

“This is why I am getting older, I am slowing down so I need to get out of the sport.” I have proven to the world that I’m the greatest

Bolt, who turns 30 tomorrow, has indicated he would continue for one last season and wave goodbye forever after next year’s world championships in London.

But he now thinks he’ll focus only on the 100m.

“I don’t know about the 200m in the future,” he said.

“I think this is the last time I will run the 200m.”

His heir apparent has emerged at these Games with 21-year-old Canadian Andre de Grasse backing up his 100m bronze medal with silver in the 200m, clocking 20.02sec. France’s Christopher Lemaitre took bronze in 20.12sec.

Bolt praised De Grasse who cheekily pushed him in the 200m semi-finals but revealed he wasn’t going to let anyone spoil his Olympic farewell.

“I can prove to the world over and over again that I am the greatest,” he said. “That is all I can do.

“I keep telling these young ones, I will never let you guys beat me, never, it is not going to happen.”

During his lap of honour Bolt knelt down and kissed the track. “I just wanted to say goodbye,” he said about the gesture.

“There is nothing else I can really do. I have proven to the world that I’m the greatest and this is what I came here for.”

Bolt has one last job in Rio, running the anchor leg for Jamaica in today’s 4x100m final to make it a clean sweep of golds from three consecutive Olympics.

USAIN BOLT