Usain Bolt is a retired Jamaican sprinter and the world record holder in the 100 metres (9.58 seconds) and 200 metres (19.19 seconds), both set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Born on 21 August 1986 in Sherwood Content, Trelawny Parish, he won eight Olympic gold medals and eleven World Championship golds, the most of any male athlete at that event, before retiring after the 2017 World Championships in London.
Usain Bolt at a Glance
| Full name | Usain St. Leo Bolt |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 August 1986, Sherwood Content, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica |
| Profession | Retired sprinter |
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Olympic gold medals | 8 |
| World Championship golds | 11 |
| World records | 100 m 9.58 s; 200 m 19.19 s (both 2009); 4×100 m relay 36.84 s (2012) |
| Nickname | “Lightning Bolt” |
Early Life and Education
Bolt was born to Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt and has a brother, Sadiki, and a sister, Sherine. He attended William Knibb Memorial High School, where his cricket coach encouraged him to try track and field. He won silver in the 200 m at the 2001 high school championships in 22.04 seconds.
Career Journey
At the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Bolt won the 200 m in 20.61 seconds and became the youngest world junior gold medallist. He also won two relay silver medals there.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he won the 100 m and 200 m. He added the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m relay at London 2012 and the same three events at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His 2008 relay gold was later lost: in January 2017 Jamaica’s 2008 relay team, including Nesta Carter, was stripped of the title after Carter’s retested blood sample was positive for a banned substance. That is why his final Olympic tally is eight golds, not nine.
Major Achievements
- Eight Olympic gold medals across the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games.
- Eleven World Championship golds, two silvers and one bronze.
- World records: 9.58 s (100 m) and 19.19 s (200 m) in 2009, and 36.84 s in the 4×100 m relay in 2012. Jamaica set three relay world records with Bolt on the team.
- Laureus World Sportsman of the Year four times, and BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year three times.
- Awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction after the 2008 Olympics.
Retirement
Bolt retired after the 2017 World Championships in London. He finished third in his last individual 100 m, did not run the 200 m, and pulled up injured in the 4×100 m relay final.
Conclusion
Usain Bolt’s 100 m and 200 m world records have stood since 2009, and his eight Olympic golds and eleven world titles define the record of a sprinter who dominated three Olympic cycles. The details above are drawn from the sources listed below.
