Simply the best! Bolt & Co smash world record to take gold in 4x100m relay

PUBLISHED: 21:07, 11 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:38, 11 August 2012

Usain Bolt brought the track action at London 2012 to a fittingly brilliant close on Saturday night, anchoring the Jamaican 4x100m relay team to gold in a new world record.

Bolt was only level with American Ryan Bailey when he took the baton after the first three legs run by Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake, but stormed down the home straight to stop the clock at 36.84 seconds, taking 0.2secs off their previous record.

The United States claimed silver and Trinidad and Tobago the bronze after Canada, who had crossed the line in third, were disqualified after Jared Connaughton was adjudged to have run outside his lane on the third leg.

Doing the Mo-bot: Usain Bolt celebrates winning the Men's 4x100m Relay and his third gold medal

Record time: Bolt and Jamaica won the gold in world record time

Eyes on the clock: Bolt watches the clock as he crosses the line to beat the world record

Jamaica's win means Bolt has retained the three titles he won in Beijing four years ago, but asked if he could do it again in Rio in 2016, the 25-year-old said: 'I've thought about it but I think it's going to be very hard because Yohan, he's just come into the game and he's running pretty well, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot more cats coming up to run.

'I'm just happy. I'll take it a step at a time.'

Asked whether he would run more often in Britain if tax laws change - a factor in him having stayed away in the past - Bolt said: "As soon as the law changes I'll be here all the time.

'I love being here, I have so many Jamaican fans here and it's wonderful.'