Usain Bolt earned a triple-triple of sprint gold medals and world records today, an unprecedented Olympic feat that elevated him alongside Michael Phelps as the stars of the Beijing Games.

With his giant strides, he ran a lighting final bend that set anchor Asafa Powell on the way to a record 37.30 seconds in the 4x100 metres, chopping a massive .30 off the mark the United States had held for 16 years.

'Go Asafa!' Bolt shouted after handing over the baton, pointing Powell in the direction of a golden record.

Celebration: Bolt strikes a pose after helping to take the 4x100 metres prize

And his teammate did exactly that - completing the only great run of his disappointing Olympics to turn reggae into the Olympic anthem of the celebrating Bird's Nest.

And Bolt, never at a loss for words, was not going to wait for IOC president Jacques Rogge to anoint the superlative of the Beijing Games.

'You can't explain the feeling you feel after the greatest Olympics ever,' Bolt said.
And who to question him.

If Phelps won eight golds to Bolt's three, he was not perfect, missing a world record in one race. The 22-year-old Bolt was perfection itself, never even close to being challenged whenever he set foot on the track.

Bolt also became only the fourth man, and the first since Carl Lewis in 1984, to win all three Olympic sprint events.

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Record breakers: Bolt, 2nd right, Michael Frater, 2nd left, Asafa Powell, right, and Nesta Carter

He had already set the world record of 9.69 in the 100 and 19.30 in the 200, but that funky Jamaican was aching for an encore.

And Powell, a former 100 world record holder who only finished fifth in the 100, provided it.

He crossed the line almost a full second in front of silver medalists Trinidad and Tobago, which finished in 38.06. Japan took the bronze in 38.15.

'I said to Asafa, "Can we do this?" And he was like, "Don't worry, man, we got this one".' Bolt said.

The loss of the world record made the great American sprint debacle complete, failing to get a single gold in six events.

It comes after Olympics chief Jacques Rogge accused him of showing a lack of respect to other competitors.

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Another world record: Jamaica's men show the new mark they managed to set

Top man: The sprinter signals to the crowd during the Jamaican team's lap of honour

Rogge compared him to American great Jesse Owens, but said he should have cut out the look-at-me flaunting and acknowledged the other athletes.

'That's not the way we perceive being a champion, he said. 'I have no problem with him doing a show.

'I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters.'

Having built a huge lead in Saturday's 100 final, Bolt slowed, glanced around with arms outstretched and pounded his chest before crossing the finish line in a world record time of 9.69 seconds.

'I understand the joy,' Rogge said. 'He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was "catch me if you can".

'You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man.'

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Four kings: Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, Usain Bolt and Michael Frater