Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt

Who Is Usain Bolt?

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (born August 21, 1986) is arguably the fastest man in the world, winning three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and becoming the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in record times. Bolt also won three Olympic gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. He ran the men's 100-meter race in 9.63 seconds, a new Olympic record, making him the first man in history to set three world records in Olympic competition. He made history again at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio when he won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter race and 4x100-meter relay, completing a "triple-triple," earning three gold medals at three consecutive Olympics for a total of 9 gold medals over the course of his Olympic carer

Usain Bolt’s Top Speed

At the Berlin 2009 World Championships, Bolt made a world record of 9.58 seconds for the 100m race, with a top speed clocking in at 27.8 miles per hour (44.72 kilometers per hour) between meters 60 and 80, with an average speed of 23.5 mph.

Net Worth

Usain Bolt’s net worth is $34.2 million, Forbes magazine estimated in June 2017, making him the 23rd highest-paid athlete in the world. Bolt leveraged his status as the world’s fastest sprinter to secure more than a dozen sponsors contributing to his earnings, including Mumm, XM, Kinder, Advil and Sprint. His deal with Puma alone pays Bolt more than $10 million every year.

When and Where Was Usain Bolt Born?

Usain Bolt was born on August 21, 1986 in Jamaica. 

Girlfriend

In August 2016, People magazine confirmed Usain Bolt was dating Jamaican model Kasi Bennet. Bolt has been private about their relationship, but he told a journalist in January 2017 that they had been dating for almost three years.

Soccer Career

Usain Bolt had long talked about eventually making a career in soccer. In August 2017, following his retirement from track and field, he planned to join Manchester United for a charity game against Barcelona, but he had to miss the match due to his hamstring injury. In September, Bolt said he was already in talks with several pro soccer teams, including Manchester United. “We have a lot of offers from different teams, but I have to get over my injury first and then take it from there,” he told reporters.In October, Bolt reaffirmed his commitment to playing soccer. "For me it's a personal goal. I don't care what people really think about it. I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm not going to be stupid," he told reporters at the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix. "If I go out there and feel I can do this then I will give it a try. It's a dream and another chapter of my life. If you have a dream that you always wanted to do, why not try and see where it will go."

Childhood and Early Successes

Both a standout cricket player and a sprinter early on, Bolt's natural speed was noticed by coaches at school, and he began to focus solely on sprinting under the tutelage of Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete. (Glen Mills would later serve as Bolt's coach and mentor.) As early as age 14, Bolt was wowing fans of sprinting with his lightning speed, and he won his first high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver in the 200-meter race.

At the age of 15, Bolt took his first shot at success on the world stage at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 200-meter dash, making him the youngest world-junior gold medalist ever. Bolt's feats impressed the athletics world, and he received the International Association of Athletics Foundation’s Rising Star Award that year and soon was given the apt nickname "Lightning Bolt."