For Usain Bolt, it was the gold medal that also reinforced it was time to go.
For the first time the world's greatest sprinter felt like others were running against him – he wanted to go quicker but his body wouldn't let him.
Usain Bolt won the 200m but the world record he greedily coveted before the race – breaking his own world record – escaped him. Bolt wanted to beat Bolt, but Bolt had to accept he is no longer the Bolt he was.
"My legs just didn't feel rested, I am not 26 any more, I am not 21 any more. It's not going to be as it used to be. I wanted it but my body couldn't take me," he said.
"I was disappointed. I am always happy to win but I wanted to run faster. Even though I didn't break the world record I wanted to run faster. Key thing is that I won and that is what I came here for." It was a similar lament after the 100: I wanted to go quicker but I can't any more.
On a balmy night in Brazil the rain fell and the wind kicked up shortly before his race. It made the idea of a broken record either unattainable or all the more glorious.
Bolt was not exactly sluggish – he won in 19.78s, ahead of Canadian Andre de Grasse second in 20.02s with veteran Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre winning bronze in 20.12s in a photo finish with Briton Adam Gemili. The bronze was decided by thousandths of a second.
Bolt came to Rio to win three gold medals. Only the fallibility of his relay teammates will stop him achieving his goal.
Usain Bolt wins men's 200m in a blistering time of 19.78
Posted by Gee Mukama on Thursday, 18 August 2016
