Josh Peter

USA TODAY Sports

RIO DE JANEIRO — American Trayvon Bromell finished eighth in the 100 meters final Sunday night, and yet no one could have faulted him if he’d borrowed Usain Bolt’s signature pose to celebrate the moment.

Bromell finally had a chance to watch Bolt win a gold medal in the 100 at the Olympics because the 21-year-old future of American sprinting achieved one of his own goals: run in the Olympics. When Bolt was winning the 100 at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games, Bromell was too busy to watch.



“Oh, I was at practice because I knew one day I wanted to be in that position,’’ he said. “I was really practicing. Dead serious. At nighttime. Outside in front of my house. Grinding.’’



Bromell took bronze at the world championships last summer and gold in the indoor worlds this year, and he ran 9.84 to finish second in the U.S. trials.

Usain Bolt streaks to third consecutive Olympic gold in 100 meters

But here on Sunday, everything almost ground to a halt. He said he woke up with a strained Achilles that left him temporarily unable to walk.



He said he spent the morning working with trainers and praying.



“I was really like breaking down … because I was like, ‘Man, this is my irst opportunity and I didn’t want to be at my worst,’ ’’ he said. “I just came out here and I was like, just make it to finals.’’



From his spot in inside lane, Bromell had a first-hand view of what he’d missed during the past two Olympics. Bolt sped to victory in 9.81 seconds as Bromell gave chase and crossed in 10.06 seconds — last among the eight sprinters but not looking defeated.



“My thing is, if I was healthy, I would have been able to run faster,’’ Bromell said. “But at the end of the end, the best man won.’’

TRACK AND FIELD AT THE RIO OLYMPICS