Running the final race of his career, the 30-year-old Usain Bolt, after taking the baton from his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake, suffered cramps on his left hamstring as he tried, in vain, to chase down the British and American rivals in the last lap of the race.
“It’s cramp in his left hamstring but a lot of pain is from disappointment from losing the race. The last three weeks have been hard for him. We hope for the best for him,” Jamaican team doctor Kevin Jones said later.
There was no kissing of the finish line nor the celebrated “Lightening Bolt’ pose, which fans around the world got used to all these years. The showman actually did not turn up on this night.
This is fourth time since 2008, Bolt failed to win in International major event.the first time due to injury. Previously, he didn’t win because of a false start, a disqualification after the fact due to a teammate’s failed doping test, and last Saturday, because of an uncharacteristic performance – Bolt came in third in the 100-meter final.
Great Britain team on Saturday with a time of 37.52 seconds claimed the first sport whereas team USA claimed the second.
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Jamaican Yohan Blake, who passed the baton to Bolt, said he was furious at what had happened. “They were holding us too long in the call room,” he said. “Usain was really cold. In fact Usain said to me: ‘Yohan, I think this is crazy. Forty minutes and two medal presentations before our run.’
He added “We keep warming up and waiting, then warming up and waiting. Then we saw a true legend, a true champion go out there and struggling like that.”
Bolt ended the World Championships in disappointment by collecting just a bronze but he will still be considered the greatest sprinter of all time and saviour of a sport for long mired in doping controversies.