Usain Bolt of Jamaica is an Olympic legend dubbed "the fastest man alive" after breaking world records and winning gold medals at 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Games.
He was raised by his parents, Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt, and his brothers, Sadeeki and Shrine. His family ran a store in the countryside, where Usain spent his time playing cricket and football with his brother.
Bolt’s Personal Life
Bolt was born in Jamaica on August 21, 1986. Early on, Bolt was a standout cricket player and a sprinter, and coaches noticed his natural speed at school. Under the tutelage of Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete, he began to concentrate solely on sprinting. (Bolt's coach and mentor would later be Glen Mills.)
Bolt's lightning speed wowed fans as early as 14, and he won his first high school championship medal in 2001, taking silver in the 200-meter race.
Bolt made his international debut at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 200-meter dash, becoming the youngest world junior gold medalist ever. Bolt's accomplishments wowed the sports world, and he received the International Association of Athletics Foundation's Rising Star Award that year, further elevating the profile of a young man who would soon be known as "Lightning Bolt."
His Career
Despite being plagued by injuries at the start of his professional career, Usain Bolt could compete and even contend in most competitions. His career was transformed when he broke the Jamaican record for the 200m in 19.75 seconds. He quickly broke the 100m world record with 9.72 seconds.
Usain Bolt's Olympic performances have defined his career. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he broke his world record in the 100m with 9.69 seconds and the 200m world record with 19.30 seconds. He is the only athlete to have three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprints.
Usain Bolt successfully defended his 100m and 200m titles and broke the world record for the 4x100m relay with Jamaican teammates Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater in 36.84 seconds.
Here is a list of all of Usain Bolt's gold medals and world records as of August 2014:
World Records
- 9.58 seconds for the 100m.
- The world record for the 200m is 19.19 seconds.
- 36.84 seconds is the world record for the 4x100m relay.
Medals of Gold
- Eight gold medals at the Olympics
- Eleven gold medals at the World Championships
- One gold medal from the World Junior Championship
He extended his Olympic winning streak by winning the 200 meters in 19.78 seconds. "What else can I do to demonstrate that I am the greatest?" In an interview with BBC Sport, Bolt stated. "I want to be one of the greatest, like [Muhammad] Ali and Pelé. I've made the sport exciting and made people want to watch it. "I have elevated the sport to a new level."