USAIN BOLT stunned the globe with three gold medals and just as many world records. He was the fastest thing on two legs over 100 metres and 200m and also carried his team around the last bend to gold and a world record in the 4x100m relay.
The Jamaican left the Bird's Nest and the world incredulous when he ran 9.69 seconds - pulling up before the line, celebrating with a roar and hands outstretched to the crowd. In the 200m Bolt broke Michael Johnson's 12-year world record in 19.30.
He ran the third leg in the relay and former world record holder Asafa Powell brought them home to set another record of 37.10.
It was an impressive Games not only for Bolt but also for the Jamaican sprint team.
All of Jamaica's 11 medals, including six golds, three silvers and two bronzes, were contributed by their runners, who created three world records and an Olympic mark.
There would have been another gold for the Jamaican women in the 4x100m if they hadn't suffered a disastrous final change. If they had passed the baton it would have been six from six in the sprint events.
For Australia, pole-vaulter Steve Hooker won gold, the first time an Australian male has done so in athletics since 1968, and a feisty track star was born, in hurdler Sally McLellan, who won silver. Jared Tallent, the son of a potato farmer, collected silver and bronze in the walks - the first Australian man to win two medals in an Olympic competition in more than 100 years.
With 26 first-timers, and without their world champions, hurdler Jana Rawlinson and walker Nathan Deakes, the Australians delivered beyond expectation. Hooker won the pole vault with a jump of 5.90m. It was an incredible feat considering the 26-year-old nearly exited the Olympic competition five times: he left each successful height to be cleared on his third and final attempt.
He went on to set an Olympic record of 5.96m and his coach Alex Parnov expects him to break Sergey Bubka's 6.14m in his career.
Another Australian coach who also expects her athlete to break a world record one day is McLellan's coach Sharon Hannan. McLellan won silver in her dazzling "no guts, no glory" performance in the 100m hurdles final.
The Gold Coast young gun ran a race beyond her experience. The 21-year-old's raw post-race celebration also had people talking.
Other shining lights of the team included its youngest member, discus-thrower Dani Samuels. At 20, the girl from western Sydney showed that she could mix it with the big discus guns in the Olympic final.
Javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister's sixth placing in his final - he had an elbow injury seriously affecting his medal chances - wasn't the result he wanted, but the 23-year-old has time to become a force.
Also with age on their side are Australia's 400m runners Joel Milburn and Sean Wroe who both performed well in their semi-finals and showed promising signs for the future.
There were lowlights, Craig Mottram suffering yet another disastrous major championships - he bombed and did not make the 5000m final - leaving the runner and his coach Nic Bideau reeling.
Steeplechaser Donna MacFarlane was devastated by not making the final. Shot-putters Justin Anlezark and Scott Martin also failed in their pursuit for a final spot. Tamsyn Lewis was disappointed in her failure to make the 800m final.
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