Usain Bolt would become the "greatest athlete of the century" if he completes a triple triple at Rio 2016, according to Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness.
The sprint king claimed his first gold of what would be an historic Games as he retained the 100 metres crown for the second time, beating rival Justin Gatlin by eight hundredths of a second. Despite a slower start than Gatlin, Bolt burst into life in the second half of the race and came surging through to take victory.
His attentions now turn to replicating that success in the 200m and 4x100m relay which would seal the unparalleled triple triple, something Holness believes would elevate Bolt to a status superior to anyone else in sport.
"It was an electrifying experience, I have never witnessed anything like it before and I don't think I will again," he told Omnisport after Sunday's race.
"He's our honoured son, he means a lot and he means a lot to the world, he's truly an international person and what he has managed to accomplish will not be surpassed in our lifetime. "It would not be unfair to say that he would be the greatest athlete of the century [if he wins three golds]."
Rio is expected to be Bolt's last Olympics and what he will do after retiring remains unclear, with Holness eager to welcome him into the political world. He added: "I would love to have him in politics but I don't know what he will do. "Certainly he is already our ambassador, the world is open for Usain Bolt."
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