Nitro Athletics Series: Bolt thrills Melbourne crowd

BACK on the track for the first time since losing his 2008 Olympic relay gold, Usain Bolt thrilled fans as he helped his All-Stars team to victory in of all events, a relay.

In his only event of the night at the Nitro Athletics Series in Melbourne, Bolt took the baton from Asafa Powell and showed everyone what he can do by powering away down the back straight.

The Jamaican described the debut of the new event as a promising start.

The world’s fastest man was impressed with the atmosphere the 7,000 strong crowd at Lakeside Stadium generated for the new team event.

‘It was a lot of fun,’ Bolt said. ‘The crowd came out and supported because it’s a great event.

Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion, has committed to competing in all three Nitro events over an eight-day period in Melbourne. The meet continues on February 9 and February 11 at the same stadium.

Bolt showed that he is refusing to dwell on the disappointment of losing his Beijing Olympics 4×100 metres gold medal. The Jamaican team saw their result wiped from the history books after Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned stimulant.

Bolt, who completed a remarkable ‘treble treble’ of 100m, 200m and 4x100m Olympic titles at the 2016 Rio Games, had his 2008 relay gold stripped last month after Carter’s re-tested sample indicated he had taken methylhexaneamine.

‘Initially (I was) disappointed, of course,’ Bolt told reporters at Melbourne Airport as he arrived ahead of the Nitro series.

‘But in life, things happen. I’m not sad… I’m just waiting to see what’s going to happen.

The Jamaican and his team pulled his trademark ‘lightning bolt’ pose for the fans

‘But I gave up my medal.’