Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

BEIJING:

JAMAICA ENDED a record-breaking medal performance at the 2008 Olympic Games with a bronze in the women's 4x400 metres on the final day of competition for the nation's athletes at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing yesterday.

The island's contingent here, led by an awesome performance from Usain Bolt, finished with a record 11 medals - six gold, three silver and two bronze - beating, by four, the previous highest tally of seven at the Sydney Games in 2000.

Jamaica had never won more than two gold medals at any one Games before. This time, they captured three times as many to finish third on the track-and-field table, behind powerhouses United States with seven gold, nine silver and seven bronze, and Russia with six gold, five silver and seven bronze.

Overall, with all its medals coming in track and field, Jamaica placed 13th. Hosts China are in an unassailable lead with 49 gold, 19 silver and 28 bronze with one day to go. The United States have the most medals - 107 - comprising 34 gold, 37 silver and 36 bronze.

Bolt was the star of the show. He is the second man to win three gold medals in athletics at the same games since 1956. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals at Los Angeles in 1984.

The 22-year-old Jamaican sprint sensation is also the 14th man to win at least three gold medals in a single Games after capturing gold medals in 100m, 200m and 4x100m, all in world-record times.