Who Is Usain Bolt Usain Bolt is the
Who Is Usain Bolt? Usain Bolt is the fastest sprinter of all time and is considered by many to be the world’s greatest sprinter ever. The Jamaican athlete broke many world records and won a large number of medals and titles during the course of his athletics career.
Early Life Usain St. Leo Bolt was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 21 st August 1986. Montego Bay As a child, he enjoyed playing sports, particularly football and cricket. Once he was at secondary school, he was encouraged to focus on sprinting and went on to win his first silver medal at the 2001 High School Championships. Usain’s talent was spotted by former Jamaican Olympic sprinter, Pablo Mc. Neil, who became his coach.
Early Promise Usain’s first appearance in the world arena was at the World Youth Championships in 2001, where he set a personal best in the 200 m race. The Jamaican Prime Minister recognised his promise and arranged for him to train with the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association in Kingston. Aged 15, Usain became the youngest ever World Junior gold medallist (winning the 200 m at the World Junior Championships in 2002). In 2004, he became the first junior sprinter to run 200 m in under 20 seconds.
Early Promise When he turned professional, Usain was offered the chance to go to train at a top sports facility in America, but he turned it down, preferring to stay in his home country. He travelled to the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, as part of the Jamaican team, but unfortunately an injury prevented him from winning any medals. Usain won silver in the 200 m at the 2007 world championships and so began a run of records and medals. One of Usain’s greatest achievements was winning gold in both the 100 m and the 200 m in three consecutive Olympic games (2008, 2012 and 2016). He was the first athlete ever to achieve this feat.
World Records Throughout his career, Usain continued to break his own and other’s sprint records. In 2009, at the World Championships in Berlin, Usain broke his own world record for the fastest ever 100 metre sprint. He set a new time of 9. 58 seconds and so far, this record remains unbroken. Usain Bolt was the first man in history to set three world records in Olympic competition (two at the 2008 Olympic games and one in the 2012 Olympic games).
Bolt’s Legacy Usain retired from athletics in 2017, after the world championships, where he won a bronze medal in the 100 m. During Usain’s final race, he collapsed on the track with a hamstring injury and had to be helped to the finish by his teammates. Usain’s talent made him a household name around the world and he is considered a national treasure in Jamaica. He published a memoir called ‘My Story: 9: 58: The World’s Fastest Man’. He has inspired many athletes to follow in his footsteps, but it remains to be seen who will next take the title of world’s fastest man.
Did You Know. . . ? Usain Bolt’s nickname is ‘Lightning Bolt’. If he hadn’t become a runner, Usain would have liked to become a fast bowler in cricket. When he broke the 100 m world record, he was running at 10. 44 m per second! Usain sometimes used to frustrate his trainer by playing practical jokes. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, Usain’s performances challenged the commonly held idea that taller athletes are disadvantaged when it comes to fast starts.
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