Usain bolts for third Olympic gold in 400-meter relay

By Philip Hersh

Aug. 22, 2008 7:29 AM PT

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Usain Bolt on Friday got his third gold medal and third world record of the meet by running the third leg for a Jamaican relay team that crushed the old 400-meter relay record held by the United States.

Jamaica clocked 37.10, besting the record of 37.40 set by the U.S. relay team at the 1992 Olympics and equaled by a U.S. relay team at the 1993 world championships.

The Jamaica quartet was Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Bolt and Asafa Powell.

The U.S. did not make the final, having botched an exchange in the heats.

-- Philip Hersh

Olympics Blog

Philip Hersh

Philip Hersh, the former Olympic specialist for Tribune Co., covered 17 Olympics and reported from some 50 countries in 30 years with the Chicago Tribune. He likes to use sport as a way to write about the culture of a country or an athlete. Hersh graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts in French literature. His passions include chamber music, road cycling (takes no PEDs except Advil) and Dr. Siri mysteries.

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