One of the biggest storylines coming into the 2016 Summer Olympics was Usain Bolt's injury and how it would affect him through the games. There were very little details surrounding it, and rumors grew wild because people tried grasping for any piece of information with even a remote chance of being true. Bolt put the concerns to rest by first winning gold in the 100m and then in the 200m. The final event for him was the 4X100m relay race, and he needed not only perfection on his part but from his three teammates as well. Peep the race in the video below real quick if you'd like.

"I'm the greatest"

The race was very close between Jamaica, Japan, and the U.S. for most of the race. Asafa Powell, a former world record holder, ran the first leg for Jamaica, staying near the front of the pack. He then handed it off to Yohan Blake, who like Powell was able to keep level but not really take the lead. Third was Nickel Ashmeade in his first Olympic Games. They decided to save the best for last in Bolt, a wise choice as they were slightly behind Japan going into the final leg. But after maybe three steps, Bolt put Jamaica in the lead for good, giving them a final time of 37.27. Japan got second with 37.60 and the U.S. got bronze.

This race, if any of the eight other finals hadn't already, showed just how dominant Bolt really is. Most teams leave their best runners for last, and Jamaica was, in fact, down in the last stretch. However, Bolt calmly reached his top speed and breezed by everybody, proving, as he stated after the race, "There you go, I'm the greatest."

U.S. disqualification

The celebration for their bronze medal ended way too quickly for the Americans as they found out about their disqualification. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Images.
The celebration for their bronze medal ended way too quickly for the Americans as they found out about their disqualification. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Images.

Remember reading that the U.S. got third place? Well, that was a lie. They did, but news broke out later that they were disqualified because Mike Rodgers passed the baton to Justin Gatlin outside of the zone. As a result, Canada got the bronze medal instead, giving Andre De Grasse a very solid Olympics with one silver and two bronze medals.

However, the U.S. track team does plan on appealing the decision, hoping that there was a mistake and that they didn't break any rules. Gatlin ensures "I felt like it was a clean exchange going through the zone." It was a nightmarish situation for the Americans, who were hoping to take advantage of Bolt's injury to surprise in the sprinting portion of the track and field competition. Instead, they disappointed, getting just one silver medal in the three events. The poor showing makes this appeal even more important as it would be some sort of silver lining if they were able to add a medal, even if it's just a bronze, to their collection.

Japan surprises

This was the best showing for Japan in a sprinting event, the previous one being getting bronze in the 4X100m relay back in 2008. This marks their second medal in the three sprints ever. Therefore, it was a great accomplishment, best summed up by Japanese anchor Aska Cambridge when he said "it was really, really fantastic and it's just so nice to be part of it."

Nobody expected this kind of result from the Japanese. They ran their hearts out and rightfully deserved the high honors. Even athletes like De Grasse, who are trained and taught from a young age to never underestimate anybody and create a David vs. Goliath situation, had this to say about the silver medalists: "Japan probably surprised us a little bit. We didn't expect to see them up there." But still, kudos to a group of men that rose past expectations and finished so well.

The Japanese team of Aska Cambridge, Yoshihide Kiryu, Shota Iizuka, and Ryota Yamagata (left to right) surprised the world with their second place finish. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Images.
The Japanese team of Aska Cambridge, Yoshihide Kiryu, Shota Iizuka, and Ryota Yamagata (left to right) surprised the world with their second place finish. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Images.

Is Bolt the greatest?

Honestly, this question is too vague. Greatest sprinter? Definitely. Greatest track athlete? Probably, nobody dominated in his fashion. But the question that will probably come up most is was he the greatest Olympian ever? Was going nine for nine in his three Olympics worthy of giving him that recognition?

While ignoring the "all sports are different so it's impossible to tell" argument, it came down to just one other player. And you probably guessed it: Michael Phelps. The dude has 23 gold medals, that's insane! Even at his age, he was able to perform great in every event he raced. Looking at just numbers, Phelps obviously has the advantage, but swimmers also have plenty more opportunities as they have more events. On the other hand, Bolt has annhilated with such ease that it's impossible to ignore. Phelps had a lot more close calls.

So, even though it will be a rather unpopular opinion, Bolt is the greatest Olympian. He has slowed down in possibly every single race near the end to celebrate early. He looks back at his opponents and smiles. He bangs his chest before reaching the finishing line. There's been absolutely nothing like that, not even from Phelps, meaning that nobody has ever seemed to win so easily, without even really trying, in the way that Bolt has.

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About the author
Youssef Machkhas
I am currently a Junior at Rice University in Houston, TX majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Business. I know, not what you would normally think of for a sports writer. But I have always been an avid sports fan especially of basketball and football. I am a die hard Rockets and Texans fan even with the heartbreak they tend to put me through. Outside of sports, I am a huge music fan; I even rap in my free time. If you want to check my music, then here's a link! https://soundcloud.com/user-649030737