Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, laced up his gold cleats to run the 100-meter dash in the Olympics for the final time last night, and what a race it was. In primetime for one of the most marquee events these Rio games will feature, Bolt lined up alongside some of the world’s fastest men, including Team USA legend Justin Gatlin, and aimed to make history. No man had ever won the 100-meter dash gold medal in 3 consecutive Olympic games. That span, 8 years, is dominance that the sport has simply never seen.

Bolt was all smiles last night, and saluted the Rio crowd when the announcement of his name drew more cheers than the announcement of any other sprinter. He blew kisses to supporters waving Jamaican flags back-and-forth through the night sky, and acknowledged several of his fellow sprinters, who were likely in awe of Bolt’s perennial brilliance as much as they were focused on trying to dethrone him.

When the gun cracked, indicating the start of the race, it appeared that Gatlin had a real chance. The U.S. sprinter burst out of the gates, and charged full speed ahead towards a surefire medal placement, but would it be the coveted gold?

No, it wouldn’t be. Because Bolt quickly recovered from his middling start, and using the recovery speed seen in no other athlete in the history of the sport, Bolt burst past Gatlin with just steps left in the race, and further cemented his place in the history books. The announcers quickly began demanding that Bolt be placed among the ranks of the greatest athletes of all time, like Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps.

They were absolutely right to do so.