Usain Bolt
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| Usain Bolt | |
|---|---|
| Name | Usain Bolt |
| Caption | Bolt at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics |
| Birth date | 21 August 1986 |
| Birth place | Sherwood Content, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica |
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 94 kg (207 lb) |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | 100 metres, 200 metres |
| Club | Racers Track Club |
| Coach | Glen Mills |
| Pb | 100 m: 9.58 s (WR), 200 m: 19.19 s (WR) |
| Medaltemplates | Men's athletics 2008 Beijing, 100 m 2008 Beijing, 200 m 2008 Beijing, 4×100 m relay 2012 London, 100 m 2012 London, 200 m 2012 London, 4×100 m relay 2016 Rio, 100 m 2016 Rio, 200 m 2016 Rio, 4×100 m relay 2009 Berlin, 100 m 2009 Berlin, 200 m 2009 Berlin, 4×100 m relay 2011 Daegu, 200 m 2011 Daegu, 4×100 m relay 2013 Moscow, 100 m 2013 Moscow, 200 m 2013 Moscow, 4×100 m relay 2015 Beijing, 100 m 2015 Beijing, 200 m 2015 Beijing, 4×100 m relay |
Usain Bolt is a retired Jamaican sprinter widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time. He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and an eleven-time World Champion, having dominated the 100 metres and 200 metres events for nearly a decade. Bolt is renowned for setting the world records in both the 100m and 200m, marks that have stood since the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
Early life and background
Bolt was born in Sherwood Content, a small town in Trelawny Parish, and attended William Knibb Memorial High School. His early talent in cricket and athletics was evident, and he was encouraged to focus on sprinting by his high school cricket coach. He first gained international attention by winning the 2002 World Junior Championships 200 metres title in Kingston, setting a world junior record. His potential was further nurtured under the guidance of coach Fitz Coleman before he began working with renowned coach Glen Mills of the Racers Track Club.
Athletic career
Bolt's senior breakthrough came at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, where he won a silver medal in the 200 metres. His global dominance began in earnest at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4 × 100 metres relay, setting world records in all three events. This triple-gold, triple-record feat was unprecedented. He repeated this "triple-triple" at the subsequent London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, though a later doping disqualification of a Jamaican teammate rescinded one relay gold. At the World Athletics Championships, he amassed eleven gold medals between Berlin 2009 and London 2017.
World records and achievements
Bolt set the 100m world record of 9.69 seconds at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which he then shattered with a 9.58-second run at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. In the same championship, he also set the enduring 200m world record of 19.19 seconds. He was a key member of the Jamaican 4x100m relay teams that set world records at the Beijing Olympics and the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. His accolades include being a six-time IAAF World Athlete of the Year and receiving the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year four times.
Legacy and impact
Bolt is credited with revitalizing global interest in track and field and elevating the sport's profile during his era. His charismatic personality and iconic "Lightning Bolt" celebration made him a globally recognized figure beyond athletics. He inspired a generation of sprinters in the Caribbean and worldwide, cementing Jamaica's reputation as a sprinting powerhouse. His rivalry with athletes like Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake, and Justin Gatlin defined an entire epoch in the sport, and his world records are considered among the most formidable in all of athletics.
Personal life
Since retiring after the 2017 World Championships in Athletics, Bolt has pursued ventures in business, music, and football, having had a brief preseason stint with A-League club Central Coast Mariners. He is a devoted fan of Premier League club Manchester United and the Caribbean Premier League cricket team Jamaica Tallawahs. He has three children with his longtime partner, Kasi Bennett, and remains a prominent national icon in Jamaica, supporting various charitable initiatives. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of Jamaica in 2022.
Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Jamaican male sprinters Category:Olympic gold medalists for Jamaica Category:World record holders in athletics