IS USAIN "Lightning" Bolt the greatest sprinter ever? Is he better than Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson?

The question has hung around his neck like the Olympic medals he won in Beijing last year: three races, three golds and three world records.

Owens in 1936, Bobby Morrow in 1956 and Lewis in 1984 each won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m but did not set three world records in the process.

And no man has set world records at 100m, 200m and 400m. But Bolt has the opportunity to hold all three sprint world records simultaneously if he attacks the 400m.