Early Life
Bolt grew up in rural Jamaica, played cricket and football as a boy, and was steered toward sprinting at William Knibb Memorial High School.
Career
He won the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m relay at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016), though the 2008 relay gold was later stripped after a teammate's doping violation, leaving him with eight golds. He set the 100 m world record of 9.58 seconds and the 200 m record of 19.19 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
Legacy
Bolt retired in 2017. He later tried out with a professional football club in Australia and founded the Usain Bolt Foundation to support children's education in Jamaica.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24