Usain Bolt is targeting a spectacular send-off as the Olympic track and field competition draws to a close on Saturday with Jamaica aiming to seal their sprinting supremacy.
After Bolt completed his unprecedented "double-double" of back-to-back 100m and 200m titles, the Jamaicans were targeting a possible world record as they bid to defend their 4x100m relay crown.
Bolt, who delighted the Olympic Stadium crowd on Thursday with a bravura performance in the 200m, signalled that the Jamaicans' own world best mark of 37.04sec, set in Daegu last year, could be under threat.
"It could be a world record but you can never say because it's a relay and it's a baton so you never know," Bolt said.
"But for me, we're just going to go out there and enjoy ourselves and run as fast as possible and it will be a good race to close the show again."
Bolt didn't run in Friday's heats, but Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, double sprint silver medallist Yohan Blake and Kemar Bailey-Cole paved the way for him by dominating their heat.
The penultimate day of Olympic competition has 32 gold medals in the balance, with track highlights including the men's 5,000m, where Britain's Mo Farah will attempt to back up his 10,000m win, and the women's 800m.
Mexico shocked five-time world champions Brazil to win the men's football final 2-1, after Oscar headed over a golden chance to equalise in injury-time.
"Mexico will be on the streets partying right now," said Mexico coach Luis Fernando Tena.
Russia's Evgeniya Kanaeva retained her rhythmic gymnastics title, France's Julie Bresset won the women's mountain bike cross country race and China's Qiu Bo led the field into the 10m platform diving final.
Earlier, under hot sunshine in the British capital, home favourite Ed McKeever -- dubbed "Bolt in a boat" -- claimed the hosts' 26th gold medal with victory in the men's single kayak sprint
New Zealand's Lisa Carrington won the women's kayak sprint, Russians Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko snatched the men's double kayak sprint, and Yuri Cheban of Ukraine took gold in the canoe sprint.
Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin won the gruelling, 50km race walk in 3hr 35min 59sec, as several of his exhausted competitors collapsed on the finish line near Buckingham Palace.
Elena Lashmanova, also of Russia, won the women's 20km walk in a world record of 1hr 25min 02sec -- ahead of team-mate defending champion Olga Kaniskina, who took silver.
In the evening athletics programme, Britain's Somalian-born Farah will have to lift himself for the 5,000m after admitting he struggled in his semi-final, following his superb display in the 10,000m.
"My body was a bit tired and I was not as fresh for the 5km as some of the other runners," he said. "I think it showed out there. It wasn't easy out there but I managed to qualify and I'm looking forward to the final."
In the women's 800m final, Caster Semenya will be looking to add the Olympic title to her controversial 2009 world crown.
The race will feature Semenya, defending champion Pamela Jelimo of Kenya and Russia's Mariya Savinova, looking to add Olympic gold to her world title from last year in Daegu.
Jelimo, just 18 when she won gold in Beijing, came to London looking to become the first woman to win the event twice at the Olympics.
Semenya had to undergo drug tests followed by gender tests following her magnificent victory in Berlin at the 2009 worlds, with the athlete complaining of "unwarranted and invasive scrutiny".
Elsewhere Saturday, the US women's basketball team will attempt to preserve one of the most dominant records in Olympic competition when they meet France in the gold medal match.
The Americans are chasing a fifth consecutive title and a seventh crown in eight Olympics against the unbeaten French side. Australia beat Russia 83-74 in the bronze medal match.
The men's hockey event will see the Netherlands aim to win their first Olympic title for 12 years when they face Germany. The Dutch are brimming with confidence after demolishing Britain 9-2 in the semi-finals.
On the medals table, the United States were four gold medals clear of China with 41 titles to 37. Britain were third with 26.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bolt-chases-double-treble-athletics-day-9-021028896--oly.html
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