The greatest sprinter of all time said goodbye to the Olympic Games in perfect fashion on Friday (19 August) night, winning the 4x100 metre relay and claiming his ninth gold medal. Usain Bolt completed his triple triple – winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at three consecutive editions of the Olympic Games: Beijing 2008, London 2012 and now at Rio 2016.

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1. Humble entry into Rio

With the eyes of the world on him as he touched down in Rio de Janiero, Bolt may have surprised some by how understated his arrival was. The sprint superstar came through the arrival gates at Rio’s international airport, saluted the world’s press before quietly disappearing into a private car.

The Jamaican athletes did not immediately move into the Athletes’ Village and many expected Bolt to stay in one of the swankiest hotels in Rio. But the sprint star opted to stay at an inconspicuous hotel with the rest of the Jamaican team close to the international airport and close to the sprint team’s training facility. And as for his requests, Bolt merely asked for a bit of Jamaican food and some milk and cereal for his night snacks – keeping it simple.

Nice 'n' easy: Bolt understated and relaxed as he arrives in Rio (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Nascimento)

2. 'These children are our future'

While access to Bolt was highly restricted to reporters desperate for a line on the big star of the Games, the Jamaican showed his softer side on 2 August, when a group of children from underprivileged communities surrounding his training base was invited to come down and meet the living legend.

Bolt posted a photo of him and the kids doing his iconic lightning bolt pose on Instagram and underneath his caption read: “They say these children are from the most dangerous communities (favelas) here in Rio. They are our future and I'm very happy I got to meet them.”

3. Press conference goes samba

At his only official public appearance before he launched his Rio 2016 campaign, Bolt was asked at a press conference whether he considered himself an athlete or an entertainer. "I am both," he said. "I'm definitely a sprinter first, but I like to entertain because that's what people come for." By the end, the proceedings had turned into a live samba show and the Jamaican, wiggling his hips alongside a dozen carnival dancers, never looked out of place.

4. The 100m semi-final and 'that' photo

Bolt produced what is sure to become one of the most iconic sports photos of all time, when cruising to victory in his 100m semi-final. As he is known to do, with the race won, Bolt took his foot off the pedal for the final 20 metres. And on this occasion it was a cheeky smile as he glanced over to photographers that will be forever immortalised. So relaxed while the rest of the competition struggle to catch his coat-tails – Cameron Spencer's shot is the most 'Bolt' photo you are likely to see.

Can't catch me: Bolt leaves the pack and flashes a cheeky smile (Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer)

5. 100m final win has fans in a frenzy

Apart from the Olympic Stadium, the best place to watch Bolt pick up the first of his three gold medals was at Jamaica House, where fans celebrated in a Caribbean party atmosphere. The level of tension as the sprinters lined up was only exceeded by the elation, as the big man crossed the line in a time of 9.81 seconds.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness joined the festivities and, with Bob Marley’s One Love playing in the background, had this to say: "Usain has is our beloved son, and from what I saw in the stadium, the world is proud of him. The stadium was literally willing him to win. It was an electrifying experience, I've never witnessed anything like it before."

6. Congratulating Van Niekerk

In the midst of all the Bolt-mania it is easy to forget that it is not all about the big man. Just before Bolt ran the 100m final though, South African Wayde van Niekerk won the 400m, beating Michael Johnson’s 19-year-old world record in the process. Bolt became aware of the news in the tunnel as he was heading out towards the track and was visibly blown away.

After wining gold again, the Jamaican politely excused himself in the middle of an interview and ran to congratulate the new 400m champion. Van Niekerk shared what Bolt said to him: “Bolt told me in Jamaica: ‘you will break the world record.’ Tonight he said: ‘I told you you could do it.’”

7. Sharing a laugh on the finish line

In the 200m semi-finals, Canadian Andre de Grasse, part of the new generation of sprinters hoping to take up Bolt’s mantle, looked to keep up with the Jamaican all the way to the finish line. Bolt’s reaction was priceless as he spied De Grasse out of the corner of his eye and appeared to egg on the young pretender. The pair shared a laugh as they crossed the line and with a master-apprentice dynamic, Bolt gave a knowing wag of his finger as if to say “you’re fast but you have some ways to go yet.”

Bolt and De Grasse enjoy their moment (Photo: Getty Images/Ian Walton)

8. Bolt’s mother appears tough to please

Bolt claimed his eighth Olympic gold medal, winning his third consecutive 200m final with his usual swagger and delighting the spectators in the stadium and around the world. Bolt was just one gold away from his 'triple-triple'. But cameras for a brief moment focused on his mother, who looked less than impressed.

Social media came alive with memes and jokes, with some saying that an eighth gold medal was great 'but not a grandchild', referencing a recent interview with Bolt's mother who hopes he will settle down and have family soon. Some speculated that she was not happy he had not set a new world record, while others simply put her stern look down as example of 'tough Jamaican motherly love'. Whatever the real story is, we are sure she was overjoyed and immensely proud of her son.

Usain Bolt ready to make history at Rio 2016, say his parents

9. Bolt: “I am the greatest”

So Friday 19 August arrived, the night of the 4x100m relay final, and the world was watching, willing Bolt to get his ninth Olympic gold medal and complete the 'triple triple'. And he did not disappoint. We cannot forget the contribution of his team-mates Asafa Powell, Nickel Ashmead and Yohan Blake who, even Bolt admitted, he could not have done without. But when he picked up the baton on the final leg, neck and neck with the USA and Japan, Bolt showed us one last time why he is the best ever.

Bolt confirmed what we all knew. He will forever be one of the all-time greatest Olympians (Photo: Getty Images/Phil Walter)

As he crossed the line it felt like fate, as the world’s fastest man became the greatest Olympic sprinter in history. His words in an interview after the race reminded us of what we all already knew, echoing the words of another sporting legend, he said: “I am the greatest.”

A little extra...

Not many athletes, if any, can say they have a song made in their honour. But this is something that Bolt can add to his long list of accolades now that Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan has penned a musical tribute to the sprint star.