Usain Bolt wins third-straight Olympic 200-meter gold medal

Emmett Knowlton
Usain Bolt's Smiling Picture
Usain Bolt's Smiling Picture

Usain Bolt became the first Olympian in history to win three consecutive gold medals in the men's 200 meters, cruising to victory on Thursday night in Rio.

SEE MORE: Everything you need to know about the Summer Olympics

Along with three consecutive gold medals in the 200-meter, Bolt has also won gold in the past three Olympic 100 meters. Should he win gold in the 4x100-meter relay on Friday, he will become the first man in history to win sprinting's elusive "triple triple."

After jogging his way to the final in the 200-meter earlier this week, Bolt finally appeared to give his full effort on Thursday night in the final, and his time of 19.78 seconds was 0.41 seconds faster than the silver medalist.

Bolt, who usually does not start well, got off the blocks fast and was clearly leading after the turn:

Usain Bolt 200
Usain Bolt 200

David J. Phillip/AP

And crossing the finish, he was — as usual — in a league of his own:

Usain Bolt 200
Usain Bolt 200

David J. Phillip/AP

Bolt, in somewhat surprising fashion, did not slow down crossing the finish line.

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