anchor sport of the Olympics has been mired for decades, but espng and bad

A hamstring injury to Johnathan Thurston has soured another emphatic home victory for North Queensland after their 36-0 NRL thumping of Canterbury in Townsville.Thurston starred as the Cowboys opened up a 20-0 lead over the Bulldogs after 45 minutes on Thursday night before the superstar playmaker was forced to leave the field. He didnt return.Clive Churchill medallist Thurston was confident the injury wouldnt leave him sidelined for long. However early indications were he could miss around two weeks.Its not too bad - it is just more of a precaution, Thurston told the Nine Network.I felt a twinge when I put in a grubber kick and, when I went to run, I couldnt accelerate.I should be right (for next week). It is just cotton wool.North Queensland didnt let up after Thurstons injury, piling on three more tries in his absence to embarrass the Bulldogs at 1300 Smiles Stadium in the opening game of round 20.Antonio Winterstein scored three tries for the home side, while Julian ONeill scored two, with Jason Taumalolo laying a tremendous platform up front.That was our most-complete performance of the year, Cowboys coach Paul Green said.Defence is the hardest part of the game to get right and I was pleased with that tonight.On Thurstons injury, Green said: It wasnt one of those gunshot ones.We have a long turnaround. He was upbeat. A win always helps. Hopefully, he will be alright.The loss throws doubt on the Bulldogs premiership claims, after they came into the match on the back of four straight wins. The visitors were outclassed across the park in a match they will want to quickly forget.Dogs coach Des Hasler was scathing of his side.We were dreadful, he said.It was disappointing, no doubt about it. There were just too many unforced errors.It was poor execution from us and we paid the price. We will take the opportunity to learn some lessons from it.The win consolidates premiers North Queenslands spot in the top four, while Canterbury could slip below that if results go against them during the remainder of round 20.The Cowboys opened with two tries in the first eight minutes through Winterstein to set up an early 12-0 lead and never looked back.Javid Bowens four-pointer in the 24th minute gave North Queensland a 16-0 halftime lead and, when Justin ONeill scored in the 45th minute, the match was all but over.Ethan Lowe, ONeill and Winterstein only added to the Bulldogs woes, all crossing for tries as Thurston sat sidelined with ice strapped to his leg.Canterbury completed at just 63 per cent, making a number of uncharacteristic errors in the North Queensland humidity.It just wasnt there for us tonight, Bulldogs playmaker Josh Reynolds said.The Bulldogs are the third side North Queensland have kept scoreless in Townsville this year, alongside the Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra.The Cowboys have outscored opposition teams 303 to 108 in their unbeaten nine home matches in 2016. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Usain Bolt kneeled down and gave the track one final kiss, then flattened his hand, reached to the ground and slapped the white number 3 painted at the finish line.Three Olympics, three races at each, three gold medals every time.He could have just as easily slapped the number 1. That would need no explanation.The man who transcended track and became a world-class celebrity bid a blazing-fast farewell to the Rio de Janeiro Games -- and, he insists, the Olympics altogether -- Friday night with yet another anchor leg for the ages. He turned a close 4x100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27 seconds.There you go, he said. I am the greatest.Japan won the silver medal, finishing .33 seconds behind.The U.S. finished the race third but endured yet another relay debacle -- disqualified because leadoff runner Mike Rodgers was ruled to have passed the baton to Justin Gatlin before the start of the first exchange zone. That promoted Canada to the bronze medal. The Americans were protesting the ruling, and as 3 a.m. Saturday approached in Brazil, there was no word on the outcome.It was the twilight zone. It was a nightmare, said Gatlin, who, along with his teammates, found out about the DQ while parading the U.S. flag around the track. You work so hard with your teammates, guys you compete against almost all year long. All that hard work just crumbles.If the ruling stands, it will mark the ninth time since 1995 the U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get the baton around at the Olympics or world championships. (They blew a 10th medal, the silver at the London Games, after Tyson Gays doping positive.)The disqualification will cause more hand-wringing in the States.In Jamaica, theyll party.Less pressure when you know youre the fastest man out there.As soon as I got the baton, I knew I was going to win this one, Bolt said.His record in Olympic finals improved to nine victories over nine events.Nobodys done that before, and nobodys on the horizon to do it again soon.Along for Bolts final trip down the track were Nickel Ashmeade, training partner Yohan Blake and the Jamaican elder statesman, former world-record holder Asafa Powell.When Bolt received the yellow baton from Ashmeade for his final run down the straightaway, he was even, or maybe a step behind Aska Cambridge of Japan and Trayvon Bromell of the United States.That lasted about four steps.With 70 meters to go, it was over. Bolt looked at the clock -- same as he did when he won the 200 the night before. No world record, bbut he still has a piece of that one, too -- its 36.dddddddddddd84 seconds, set four years ago at the London Games. He also owns the records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19).I am just relieved. Its happened. I am just happy, proud of myself. Its come true, said Bolt, who overcame a hamstring injury earlier in the summer, then shined throughout a seven-day, seven-race stint in Rio, counting all the heats. The pressure is real. I look at it as an accomplishment.Musical selection for Bolts final parade around the track: Bob Marleys Jammin.With most of the other debates over about greatest this, greatest that, a new one might be whether Bolt has surpassed Marley as the most famous person from the country known for sea, sun and sprints.Usain has done so much, Powell said. Its hard to explain. Hes just a great athlete. Hes a legend.Counting all the preliminaries, finals and his approximately nine-second blast down the stretch in Fridays final race, Bolt has spent 325 seconds -- a tad less than 5 1/2 minutes -- sprinting on the track at the Olympics since he made his debut in Beijing eight years ago.Every tick of the clock has been a treasure. And while he may not close things out with 23 golds, the number Michael Phelps left Rio with earlier this week, its hard to argue there is anybody more successful or electric -- or important to his sport, and the Olympics themselves.The anchor sport of the Olympics has been mired for decades, but especially over the past year, in a cesspool of doping, cheating and bad characters.When Bolts on the track, everyone forgets.A great sprinter, said Gay who, once upon a time, was Bolts biggest challenger. Nine gold medals, words cant even describe what hes done for the sport.So much of that is because the show isnt over when hes through running.After crossing the line for the last time, Bolt pumped his fist in the air, slowed down and took off those famous gold spikes. He huddled with his teammates and they prayed. Then, a final, luxurious lap around the track.Ill stay up late tonight, Bolt said when asked how hed celebrate.All week, when asked a hundred different ways if this really is his last Olympics, he kept saying yes. He said it once more as Friday night turned into Saturday morning.Yeah, this is the last one, guys, said the champion, who turns 30 on Sunday, the same day the Olympic cauldron is extinguished.Going so soon? It leaves the world to ponder: Without Bolt on the track, how will things ever be the same? ' ' '