Bolt tired after medal hat trick

24 August 2009 - 02:00
By unknown

BERLIN - Sprint king Usain Bolt admitted he is dead tired from his exertions after capturing his third gold medal of Berlin's World Athletics Championships with Jamaica's 4x100m relay team.

BERLIN - Sprint king Usain Bolt admitted he is dead tired from his exertions after capturing his third gold medal of Berlin's World Athletics Championships with Jamaica's 4x100m relay team.

Bolt's three medals have replicated his gold medal hat trick from last August's Beijing Olympics and while he has repeated his individual world record haul he insists he is not in the same shape he was in China.

The 23-year-old shattered his own 100m world record in Berlin last Sunday when he picked up his first gold, then set another global mark when he was victorious in the 200m final on Thursday before running Saturday's third leg of the relay.

The Jamaican quartet clocked a championship record of 37,31sec while Trinidad and Tobago took silver in a national record of 37,62 and Great Britain the bronze in 38,02.

With teammate and world 100m bronze medallist Asafa Powell carrying a groin strain, Bolt ran the penultimate relay leg and despite his claims he is jaded still had enough gas to help his team clinch victory.

"I'm really tired, I didn't run the best leg I wanted to, but I am just happy I got the baton to Asafa (Powell) and we got it around the track," said Bolt, who sat on the track after the baton switch to rest his weary legs.

"My first aim was to get the gold medal, so I am definitely happy." - Sapa-AFP