10 things you did not know about Usain Bolt: The fastest man in the world.
Who doesn't know the amazing career of Usain Bolt? The former athlete, or also known as Lightning Bold (El Relámpago Bolt in Spanish), is considered the fastest man in the world due to his multiple achievements.
Among them are the eleven world and eight Olympic titles as a sprinter, the world records of the 100 and 200 meter dash and the 4x10 relay race in the Jamaican team to which he belonged. He is one of the athletes who has won the most titles in the youth, junior and absolute categories worldwide.
Her personal best in the 100 meter dash is 9.58 seconds. Without a doubt, we are facing a speed legend who has more than demonstrated that he deserves all the achievements he boasts. Some of Bolt's defining personality traits are perseverance, tenacity, and humility. But, if you are a fan of this sport and want to know even more details about the personal and professional life of the athlete, keep reading!
1. Where did Usain Bolt grow up?
The former athlete was born on August 21, 1986 in Trelawny, Jamaica , where he lived and grew up with his parents: Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt. Both ran a small and humble country store in Sherwood Content, a small town in Trelawny. Usain Bolt has been lucky enough to live a full childhood surrounded by his two brothers: Sadeeki and Sherine, with whom he played cricket and soccer while their parents tended the store. On several occasions the former athlete has confessed that at this stage of his life he only thought about sport; it was his great passion. In this same town he attended the Waldensia school, a place where, in addition to studying, he also practiced athletics. It was at this time that Bolt demonstrated his talents in sprinting, becoming the fastest athlete in his school in the 100-meter dash at the age of twelve.
2. What sports did Bolt play before he became a professional athlete?
Bolt began to discover his passion for sports when he was very young. The former athlete spent his days playing soccer, basket and cricket with his brother while his parents worked. Also, since he set foot in school, Bolt was already participating in speed races where his talent and charisma stood out from the rest.
Despite the fact that at that time he did not train much, the former athlete looked for any moment to practice sports, especially cricket, a sport that he gave up for athletics when his coach at that time recommended that he exploit his abilities as an athlete. At that time, Asafa Powell, a great Jamaican athlete who had discovered Bolt for his great qualities, recommended the young man to take advantage of his talent and spend hours training. Bolt listened to him and quickly delved into this discipline.
3. Who was your first track and field coach?
After finishing his primary studies at Waldensia School, where he had already taken his first steps in athletics, he began secondary school at William Knibb, where in addition to concentrating all his efforts on sports, he also met Pablo McNeil, Jamaican athlete who, in addition to having participated in several Olympic Games, was also an athletics coach. McNeil, who had previously mentored the great athlete Michael Green, became Bolt's personal trainer after he won his first silver medal in the 200-meter dash at a school sporting event at just 15 years old.
The athlete's professional career has led him to obtain great prizes. In 2007 he broke the 200 meter record with 19.75 seconds. Just one year later, in 2008, he achieved the first world record in the 100-meter dash in 9.72 seconds, in addition to other achievements such as the relay race with the Jamaican team at the Beijing Olympics. On the other hand, he managed to be the first athlete to win three Olympic trials since Carl Lewis in 1984.
In 2010 he once again surpassed his own marks and achieved the record of 100 and 200 meter dash in a time of 9.58 and 19.19 at the world championships in Berlin. Usain Bolt would not take long to surprise us again when at the London Olympic Games in 2012 he proved to be still number one, acquiring the 100-meter Olympic gold after that of Beijing'08.
Following these impressive achievements he was dubbed The Lightning in addition to being recognized as Athlete of the Year by the IAAF and Track and Field magazine.
4. What sport did Bolt practice after his retirement as an athlete?
As a child, Bolt had a great passion for soccer, but Bolt's undoubted talent as an athlete made all the Jamaican's chances of being a great soccer player quickly fizzle out. After retiring from athletics in 2018, Bolt spent a time on trial in the Australian team of the Central Coast Mariners, but certain discrepancies in the contract caused it to dissolve just a few months after signing it. signed.
5. Did you know that Bolt discovered he had scoliosis as a child?
Usain Bolt did not eat a very balanced diet and this was the main reason why the former athlete discovered that he suffered from an imbalance in the spine that makes his right leg slightly shorter than his left, a problem that never prevented him from run like a gazelle However, he didn't start being treated until he was 15 years old, at which point he became the youngest junior champion to win the 200-meter dash.
6. Why were you criticized at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
After winning three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, Bolt could not contain his happiness and celebrated by jumping and hitting his chest, an attitude that the president of the Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, described as indecent due to the lack of sportsmanship that meant the fact of not greeting his opponents. Faced with this accusation, Bolt's representative, Ricky Simms, claimed that the ex-athlete was not a disrespectful man, but that in a situation of extreme happiness, his reaction could not be other than a big celebration.
7. What promise did Bolt break after Beijing 2008?
The former athlete swore and swore that he would never leave his native country of Jamaica behind, but, after being filled with success and achievements, the Jamaican broke his promise in 2018 and moved to Sydney, Australia, where he bought a valued mansion in more than 1600.000 million dollars.
As for the athlete's private life, he had his first daughter with Kasi Bennet on May 17, 2020 called Olympia Lightning Bolt and a year later they reported a new twin pregnancy: Saint Leo and Thunder.
8. What is Usain Bolt's mascot?
As if his speed were not enough, in 2009 Usain Bolt adopted a leopard that had been abandoned in Kenya, one of the fastest animals in the world. The former athlete wanted to name his pet Lightning Bolt, just like his nickname. The Jamaican called over 10.000 dollars in the process of adopting the leopard and since then, he has taken over all his care at a specialist center located in Nairobi, Kenya.
9. Do you know the Jamaican's passion for the NBA?
In addition to athletics, cricket and football, Bolt also played basketball in his childhood, a sport in which he was not mediocre at all, and was also influenced by great NBA players. In 2013, and after having attended many NBA games, the former athlete was invited to the celebrity game, All Star, where to his surprise, he only scored two points with a two-handed mate.
10. Do you know the ex-athlete's passion for dance and music?
Due to his Jamaican roots, Bolt has always had music and dance very present in his life, having acknowledged in several interviews that, like his father, he is a great Latin dancer. In fact, at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, we have been able to see how the Jamaican has celebrated his most emblematic victories by dancing with joy. One of his favorite genres is reggae, having supported the music of great artists like Dong Ravers on his social media.
After having learned a little more about the life of the former athlete, Usain Bolt, surely you have wanted to contemplate again his most emblematic moments of his career, starting with his beginnings in the Jamaican team until his last and brilliant participation at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. There is no doubt that the Jamaican has always opted for what he was best at and what made him happiest: sport. Therefore, his talent and effort have made the former athlete the fastest man in the world, and also one of the most beloved in the field of professional sports.
