Lightning gets 3rd gold in Olympics....

The world's fastest man Lightning Usain Bolt collected his third Olympic gold medal when he helped Jamaica smash the world record to win the men's 4x100 metres relay final on Friday. ( Watch )

Bolt, who won the 100 and 200 finals in world record times, teamed up with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell to clock 37.10 seconds, slashing 0.30 off the mark set by the United States at the 1993 world championships.

Trinidad and Tobago finished second in 38.06, about 10 metres behind their Caribbean neighbours, and Japan were third in 38.15.

Britain, the US and Nigeria, the medallists in Athens four years ago, missed out on the final after mistakes in the heats, leaving Jamaica as overwhelming favourites for gold.

While Jamaica's men cruised to victory, their women's 4x100 relay team missed out on a medal after failing to get the baton round, allowing Russia to take a surprise gold.

Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, joint silver medallists in the individual 100, over-ran the second changeover and with the US failing to make the final the race was suddenly wide open.

Russia charged through to win in 42.31 with Belgium grabbing an unlikely second and Nigeria picking up the bronze.

"There's no reason for us to be disappointed because we've been having a great Olympics," Stewart said.

"Maybe it was Russia's destiny to get the gold medal, you never know what God is meaning."

There were no mistakes for the Jamaican men as they handed over seamlessly with Bolt running the third leg and Powell, the former world record holder, sprinting clear on the last.