Bolt – The Name Which is Synonym For the Word Fast
Early Life of Bolt
Birth of the Speedster
The fastest man on earth was born on 21 August 1986 to parents Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt in Sherwood Content, a small town in Trelawny, Jamaica. Also, he has a brother named Sadiki and a sister Sherine.
Bolt spent his time playing cricket and football on the streets with his brother, and later he recalled this period as the time in which he thought nothing other than playing sports.
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School Life of bolt
Even when he was in Waldenasia primary school, his ability in sprinting became evident when he ran in the annual school meet. After that, at the high school level, he became the fastest runner in the 100m distance.
During his studying in the William Knibb Memorial High School, he continued to show his interest in many sports. At that time, his cricket coach noticed his speed on the field and advised him to focus on the track and field events.
The school had a history of success in athletics and produced many sprinters. Subsequently, Pablo Mcneil, a former Olympic sprint athlete, and Dwayne Jarret started to coach him and helped him to focus on improving his athletic abilities.
In the year 2001, Bolt won his first medal. He got the silver medal in the 200 meters, and he took 22.04 seconds in the race.
Bolt was still mischievous and his coach McNeil, though the two had a positive relationship, occasionally complained about it and his lack of dedication.
Early competitions
Bolt performed in Jamaica in his first Caribbean regional event. In the 2001 CARIFTA Games, he finished the 400m with the personal best time of 48.28s and won a silver medal. Finally, he finished the 200m in 21.81s and won a silver medal.
His first appearance at the world level meet was IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Though he failed to qualify for the finals, he set a new personal best of 21.73 s in the 200m event.
Bolt continued his mischievousness and didn’t take the game too seriously. He hid behind the back of a van during the preparation for 200m finals at the CARIFTA. He did it to avoid the training session.
It finally led to the arrest of Bolt and a public misunderstanding against his coach. Then everything settled down, and both the coach McNeil and Bolt went to the CARIFTA Games.
In the game, Bolt set the records in 200m and 400m with the times of 21.2s and 47.33s respectively. He continued his records with 20.61s and 47.12s at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships.
Then Bolt was one among the only nine athletes to win world championships at the youth, junior and senior level of an athletic event.
The then Jamaican Prime Minister Patterson, recognized his talent and arranged for his shifting to Kingston to get the training with the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association at the University of Technology, Jamaica.
Bolt Rising to stardom
The year 2002
In the year 2002, Bolt got the chance to prove his athletic ability in front of the home crowd and on a world stage. The World Junior Championships for the year was held in Jamaica.
He was only at 15 but grew to a height of 1.96 meters and stood out from his peers. He won the 200m in 20.61 s, but it was slower by 0.03 s than his previous best. However, his winning made him the youngest winner ever.
The standing before the home crowd and the high level of expectations made him very nervous. It led him to put his shoes on the wrong feet.
Bolt as a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team won two silver medals. His team set a national junior record in the 4×100 meters and 4×400 meters relay.
The year 2003
His outstanding performance continued, and he won four more golds at the 2003 CARIFTA games. He also got the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the year.
In the 2003 World Youth Championships, he won gold at the 200m race setting a new championship record of 20.40 s. Subsequently, Bolt won the award for IAAF rising star for the year 2002.
In his final Jamaican High School Championships in the year 2003, he broke the 200 m and 400 m records with times 20.25 s and 45.35 s respectively.
Bolt began to focus more on 200 m race and started to make milestones in the events. He equaled the record of Roy Martin for 20.13 s at the Pan-American Junior Championships.
The Press lauded his performance and his times in the 200 m and 400 m led the people to compare him with the famed Johnson. Subsequently, Bolt crossed the time marked by Jhonson at the age of sixteen. But Jhonson made the records at the age of 20.
Bolt became more popular in his homeland and was termed as “the most phenomenal sprinter ever produced by this island.” The growing popularity unsettled the sprinter to an extent from the disciplined life of an athlete.
With the Junior Championship at his side, Bolt intended to make a strong mark in the Senior World Championship in Paris. When the event was getting closer, he suffered from eye-related problems, which affected his training schedule.
The Jamaican Association banned him from participating in the event, citing his young age and inexperience. However, he got the IAAF Rising Star Award for the year 2003 based on his performance at the junior level.
Professional Career of bolt
Between 2004–2007
The Year 2004
Bolt underwent training from his new coach Fitz Coleman and turned into a professional athlete. In the year 2004, he won the 200m race in the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda. He finished the race in 19.93 s and became the first junior to run the 200m race under twenty seconds.
For the second time, he got the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 2004 CARIFTA Games.
Bolt missed the 2004 World Junior Championship due to a hamstring injury but got his entry into the Jamaican Olympic Squad.
He suffered from a leg injury and finished the 200 m in 21.05 s, which was a disappointment. Subsequently, he got eliminated in the first round of the 200 meters.
He refused the offer from the United States for professional training and preferred to stay in Jamaica choosing the University of Technology, Jamaica, as his professional training ground.
The Year 2005
Bolt started his training under the new coach Glen Mills in the year 2005. The coach focussed his attention in eliminating the unprofessional approach to the sport. For the upcoming seasons, Bolt joined with seasoned athletes Kim Collins and Dwain Chambers for preparation.
In July 2005, he crossed the 200m mark in 20.03 s in CAC Championship and the time he took was 19.99 s at London’s Crystal Palace.
In the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Bolt finished last due to an injury. Injuries hurt him often and restricted him from completing a full athletic season. But he made the record as the youngest ever to appear in the 200 m world final.
The Year 2006
In November, Bolt met with an accident and escaped with minor injuries. Then he improved his performance, and he was one among the top-5 sprinters in the years 2005 and 2006.
Bolt suffered a hamstring injury in March 2006, and it prevented him from the Commonwealth games. The earlier plan of his coach and his Manager Peart, to push him to make 400m as his primary event was given up. Bolt felt convenient in the running as a sprinter.
Then he went on to break the record of Justin Gatlin in Ostrava, the Czech Republic in 200m. In the subsequent competitions, he chose 200 m as his primary event. He finished the 200 m in 19.88 s at the 2006 Athletissima Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In IAAF World Athletics Final in Germany, Bolt won his first major world medal. He took 20.10 s and won a bronze medal. In IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece Bolt got the first senior international silver medal.
Bolt opted to run in 100 m events, but his coach Mills thought that he was suitable to run the middle distance. Then the coach told Bolt that he could run 100 m if he breaks the 200 m national record.
In the following event at the Jamaican Championships, Bolt ran the 200 m in 19.75 s and broke a 36 – year- old record by 0.11 s.
Following this, Bolt participated in the 100m event at the 23rd Vardinoyiannia meeting in Rethymno, Crete and won a gold medal in a time of 10.03 s. Then in the World Championship held in Japan, he won a silver medal.
In the year 2007, Bolt didn’t win gold medals at the major events. But his coach was satisfied that his technique was very much improved.
Record-Breaking Stints
Bolt continued his training for 100 m with the newfound enthusiasm after winning the silver in the Osaka World Championships. In the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston, he ran in 9.76 s in the 100 m, and it was the second-best in the history of the event.
In the event, Bolt improved his form and technique very much. Michael Jhonson saw the race and wondered about the Bolt’s quick improvement in the 100 m distance.
On 31 May 2008, Bolt ran in 9.97 s (tailwind 1.7 m/s) in the 100m and set a new world record at the Reebok Grand Prix in the Icahn Stadium in New York City.
Though the coach still had a positive opinion about Bolt’s capability for long-distance running, both consented for short-distance sprinting.
Bolt was more focused in practice and had a training schedule to boost his top speed and his stamina. He improved both his 100 m and 200 m times and looked forward to the approaching Olympics.
2008 Olympics
In the year 2008, Bolt set himself to participate in the Olympics. It was his first appearance in the world summit, and people welcome him as a favorite in the track event. His inexperience and youth didn’t go against him.
Bolt crossed the first 60 meters quickly and ran the remaining few meters by celebrating his winning. The time 9.69s he took was a record, and he could make it to 9.60s if he were at his full spirit up to the finish line.
In the 200 meters also he won the gold medal and broke Michael Johnson’s world record. In the Olympic, his dominance and youthful exhibition of energy excited the audience.
2009 World Championship
In the 2009 World Championship held in Germany Bolt won 100m, 200m, and 400m relay. In the event, he set new world records, and his timings were 9.58 secs for 100m and 19.19s for 200m.
On the concluding day of the event, the mayor of the Berlin presented him a 12-foot piece of Berlin wall.
2012 Olympics
In the pre -Olympic Jamaican national championships event his training partner, Yohan Blake beat him. But, Bolt went on to win gold medals in 100m, 200m and 400m relay.
2013 World Championships
Bolt made it as a pattern and won gold medals in 100m, 200m and 400m relay in the world championships.
Events in 2014
Bolt stated that his body was prone to injuries with the progress in his athletic career. He didn’t participate in 100m event the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games. But he participated in the 400m relay and his team won the gold medal.
2016 Olympics
The events that led to the year 2016 were not helpful to Bolt as there were occurrences of frequent injuries. But Bolt was mentally tough and decided to participate in the 2016 Olympics.
He won all three medals, and his achievement of nine Olympic gold medals in total itself is a record.
The Highest Speed
In the year 2009, Bolt made a world record at the Berlin World Championships. In the competition, his timing was 9.58 seconds in 100m race, and his top speed was 27.8 miles per hour between 60 and 80 meters.
Net Worth of Bolt
As of the year 2019, his net worth has been estimated to be $ 90 million and is the highest for any Olympian, and he is just ahead of the famous swimmer Michael Phelps.
Injury and Retirement
Bolt continued to suffer from injuries and in the year 2017 at the World Athletics Championships, he was able to finish only in the third position and got the bronze medal.
In the 4*100m relay, he suffered from hamstring and fell on the track. Then he crossed the finish line with the help of his teammates.
Following these incidents, in August 2017, Bolt announced his retirement saying “For me, I don’t think one championship is going to change what I’ve done,” and added, “I personally won’t be one of those persons to come back.”
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Famous Quotes by Bolt
“A lot of legends, a lot of people, have come before me. But this is my time.”
“For me, I’m focused on what I want to do. I know what I need to do to be a champion, so I’m working on it.”
“It’s a great feat for me to have broken my world record.”
“If you think about racing too much, you may just lose it a little bit.”
“But if I keep my core and back strong, scoliosis doesn’t really bother me.”
“I work hard, and I do good, and I’m going to enjoy myself. I’m not going to let you restrict me.”
“I told you all I was going to be No. 1, and I did just that.”
“Don’t think about the start of the race; think about the ending.”
“There are better starters than me, but I’m a strong finisher.”
“It’s always a wake-up call to get beaten.”
“I’ve worked hard over the years, I’ve been injured, and I’ve worked hard through it, and I’ve made it.”
“I don’t know the history of my sport. I’m not like those people who know everything.”
“As long as I’m in great shape, nobody beats me, for sure.”
“I want to thank GOD for everything he has done for me because, without him, none of this wouldn’t be possible.”
“But anybody who steps into the lane beside you is the biggest competition because they made it to the finals.”
“All I have to do is to work on transition and technique.”
“I was playing cricket first, and my cricket coach was the one that introduced me to track and field.”
“I stopped worrying about the start. The end is what’s important.”
Football and Bolt
Bolt is fond of football, and he started to play the game from a very early stage of his life. When nearing retirement, he expressed his interest in football many times.
In January 2019, he announced that he would not play football anymore.
His newfound interest is ‘doing business,’ and he cofounded Bolt Mobility in 2018 in the U.S. His company produces e-scooter which can reach a speed of 15 mph.
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