Usain Bolt untested in 200m final win as he leads from the gun and strolls home for eighth gold medal

HAVING won the 100m and 200m Olympic gold medal for the third time in a row, Usain Bolt says he now wants to be considered in the same category as Muhammad Ali and Pele.

Usain Bolt claimed victory in the men’s 200m Olympic final in Rio by a distance.

HE’S run a lot faster before but Usain Bolt got what he wanted — his third Olympic 200m title.

The Jamaican superstar was aiming to break his own world record of 19.19 sec but conditions were against him so he had to settle with a golden 19.78 sec.

And now, he wants to be held in the same esteem as Muhammad Ali and Pele.

“I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among Ali and Pele,” he said.

“I don’t need to prove anything else. What else can I do to prove to the world I am the greatest?

“I ran hard around the turn. On the straight, my body didn’t respond. I’m getting old.”

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates with fans after winning the Men's 200m Final

Bolt clocked a finishing time of 19.78, slower than four years ago in London.

Canada’s Andre De Grasse continued his stunning emergence by taking silver in 20.02 sec with Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre third in 20.12 sec.

Any thoughts of a world record went out the door as rain started falling 15 minutes before Bolt entered the Olympic Stadium.

The champion was typically relaxed, waving to the crowd as he made his entrance.

Unlike the 100m where he seems to struggle out of the blocks, Bolt blasted away and the race was over after the opening 50m.

BOLT: Lightning strikes again in the men’s 200m

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At the top of the straight he was metres ahead and from there it was all about the time.

Bolt showed his frustration when he saw the time as he crossed the line but soon snapped into celebration mode.

Speaking immediately after the race, Bolt was visibly disappointed not to have broken his own world record in what will “probably” be his last ever 200m race.

“I’m getting older and slowing down so I need to get out of the sport,” he said flashing that trademark smile of his.

“I have proven to the world over and over again that I am the greatest. That is all I can do.

“I really wanted to run fast and I really wanted to win so that’s the main thing.

“The sadness for me would be that it is actually a slower time. 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 can’t do any more. I can proven to the world over and over again that I am the greatest. 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. This is why I am getting older, I am slowing down so I need to get out of the sport.”

Coming off the bend Bolt already had the race all but won.

On his future plans he was coy, though did offer a tantalising prospects to his many fans in Australia.

“I’ll be there (Australia) definitely this year,” he said, adding: “I love you guys.”

He will return in 24 hours to complete his Olympic career in the 4x100m relay where Jamaica is once again expecting to break the world record.

In the lead-up to the Games Bolt revealed he wanted to complete his third consecutive sweep of Olympic sprint gold medals.

On Sunday night he ticked off the 100m in brilliant fashion but even immediately after that his attention had turned to the 200m.

Bolt was visibly filthy with himself for failing to clock a world record.

“I really want to do this world record, it’s something I really want,” Bolt said after clocking 9.81 sec in the blue riband event.

“I am going to come out there and leave it all on the track in the 200m final and run as fast as I possibly can.

“There is definitely a prospect that I get that world record. It’s something I really want.”

Bolt blew away the field from almost the gun in a dominant display.

He showed in the semi-finals that he meant business, clocking the third fastest time of the year.

Bolt ran 19.78 sec and shared a laugh with De Grasse over the line.

The champion wasn’t actually impressed with his young friend who made him work more than he wanted over the final stages.

But that performance showed he was ticking over perfectly to deliver yet another gold medal.

Speaking after the final De Grasse said: “I’m really happy with two medals, but my race today could have been better. I couldn’t really tell what happened.

“I came off the bend and tried to do something, tried to go, but maybe I used up too much energy in the semi-final yesterday. I didn’t think I had, but maybe I did.

“There was nothing there. I’m really happy with two medals under my belt. But yesterday I ran relaxed. My race today could have been better.”

Originally published as Usain Bolt untested in 200m final win as he leads from the gun and strolls home for eighth gold medal