How education and upbringing influenced the life of Usain Bolt. A timeline of key moments.
Usain Bolt, a retired Jamaican sprinter, is celebrated as the greatest of all time. He boasts eight Olympic gold medals and holds world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay, solidifying his legacy as a dominant force in sprinting history.
August 1986: Usain Bolt's Birth
On 21 August 1986, Usain St. Leo Bolt was born to parents Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt in Sherwood Content, Jamaica. His middle name was given to him by his aunt. As a child, he spent his time playing cricket and football.
August 1986: Usain Bolt's Birth
On August 1986, Usain St. Leo Bolt was born. He is now considered the greatest sprinter of all time, with multiple Olympic gold medals and world records.
2000: Participated in anniversary celebrations for the Summer Olympic Games
In September 2010, prior to the race Bolt gave the runners some private coaching and also participated in the 10th anniversary celebrations for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
2001: IAAF World Youth Championships
In 2001, Bolt made his first appearance on the world stage at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, but failed to qualify for the finals.
2001: First High School Championships Medal
In 2001, Usain Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal, taking the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds.
2001: CARIFTA Games Silver Medals
Representing Jamaica in his first Caribbean regional event, Bolt clocked a personal best time of 48.28 s in the 400 metres in the 2001 CARIFTA Games, winning a silver medal. The 200 m also yielded a silver, as Bolt finished in 21.81 s.
2002: World Junior Championships Gold Medal
In 2002, Usain Bolt won the 200 m at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, becoming the youngest world-junior gold medallist ever. He also took two silver medals as a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team and set national junior records in the 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres relay.
2002: Signed sponsorship deal with Puma
In 2002, after winning the 200 m title in the World Junior Championships, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma.
2003: Missed opportunity at Senior World Championships
In 2003, Bolt was not allowed to participate in the Senior World Championships finals due to a bout of conjunctivitis and concerns about his age and inexperience.
2003: Records at Jamaican High School Championships
In 2003, Usain Bolt broke the 200 m and 400 m records at his final Jamaican High School Championships, with times of 20.25 s and 45.35 s, respectively.
2003: Medals at the CARIFTA Games and World Youth Championships
In 2003, Usain Bolt won four golds at the CARIFTA Games and was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy. He also won a gold at the World Youth Championships.
2004: Professional Debut and Hamstring Injury
In 2004, Usain Bolt turned professional and broke the world junior record with a time of 19.93 s in the 200 m. However, a hamstring injury hindered his performance at the Athens Olympics.
2005: New Coach and Improved Performance
In 2005, Usain Bolt started training with new coach Glen Mills, aiming for a more professional approach to athletics. In July he knocked more than a third of a second off the 200 m CAC Championship record with a run of 20.03 s.
June 2008: Response to claims of being a lazy athlete
In June 2008, Usain Bolt addressed claims that he was a lazy athlete, attributing any perception of laziness to his lack of enthusiasm for the 400m event, while he also set a world-leading time in Ostrava and broke the national record for the second time in Athens with a 19.67s finish.
2008: Reaction to chest slapping
After winning the 100m race in the 2008 Olympics, Usain Bolt's chest-slapping celebration before the finish line was met with mixed reactions, including condemnation for showboating and support for expressing joy.
2008: Puma releases videos promoting Bolt's Olympic chase
In 2008, Puma released a series of videos to promote Bolt's chase for Olympic glory in the Beijing Summer Olympics, including his record-setting run in Icahn Stadium.
September 2010: "Gatorade Bolt" event in Australia
In September 2010, Bolt traveled to Australia for the "Gatorade Bolt" event, aimed at finding Australia's fastest footballer.
2010: Release of autobiography
In 2010, Bolt's autobiography, My Story: 9.58: Being the World's Fastest Man, was released.
2010: Played a reggae DJ set to a crowd in Paris
In 2010, Usain Bolt revealed his fondness for music by playing a reggae DJ set to a crowd in Paris. He is also an avid fan of the Call of Duty video game series.
2011: Special guest at UEFA Champions League Final
In 2011, Usain Bolt was a special guest of Manchester United at the UEFA Champions League Final in London, where he expressed his desire to play for them after retirement.
January 2012: Advertising campaign for Virgin Media
In January 2012, Bolt impersonated Richard Branson in an advertising campaign for Virgin Media.
March 2012: Stars in advert for Visa and the 2012 Summer Olympics
In March 2012, Bolt starred in an advert for Visa and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
July 2012: Launch of Bolt! iOS game
In July 2012, Bolt and RockLive launched Bolt!, an Apple iOS game based on his exploits.
2012: Collaboration with Soul Electronics
In 2012, Bolt collaborated with Soul Electronics to design his own line of headphones, featuring the Jamaican color scheme and his signature pose.
2013: NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game
In 2013, Usain Bolt played basketball in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game, scoring two points.
November 2016: Desire to play professional football
In November 2016, Bolt expressed his desire to play professional football after retiring from track and field, reiterating his wish to play for Manchester United.
November 2016: Release of "I Am Bolt" documentary
On November 28, 2016, the documentary film "I Am Bolt", based on Bolt's athletic life, was released in the United Kingdom.
2016: Highest paid athlete in track and field
In 2016, Bolt earned about $33 million, becoming the highest paid athlete in track and field and No. 32 on Forbes' list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes.
2017: Third highest earning social media income for sponsors
In 2017, Bolt had the third highest earning social media income for sponsors among sportspeople, being the only non-footballer in the top seven.
August 2018: Training with Central Coast Mariners
On August 21, 2018, on his 32nd birthday, Bolt began training with Australian football club Central Coast Mariners and made his friendly debut on August 31, 2018.
October 2018: Offered contracts from Valletta and Mariners
In October 2018, Bolt was offered a two-year contract from Valletta, which he turned down, and was later offered a contract by the Mariners, with funding aided by the Australian FA.
November 2018: Leaves Central Coast Mariners
In early November 2018, Usain Bolt left the Central Coast Mariners after eight weeks with the club.
2018: Co-founds Bolt Mobility
In 2018, Usain Bolt co-founded Bolt Mobility, an electric scooter company.
2018: Plays for Strømsgodset in friendly match
In 2018, after training with Norwegian football club Strømsgodset, Bolt played as a forward in a friendly match against Norway's national under-19 team, wearing number "9.58".
January 2019: Ends football career pursuit
In January 2019, Bolt decided not to pursue a career in football, stating his "sports life is over."
March 2019: Public appearance for Bolt Mobility
In March 2019, Bolt made his first public appearance for Bolt Mobility during the company's New York City launch.
May 2019: Bolt Mobility expands to Europe
In May 2019, Bolt Mobility expanded its services to Europe, introducing the product first in Paris.
May 2019: Speaks at Viva Technology conference
In May 2019, Bolt spoke at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, introducing Bolt Mobility's Nano minicar and met with French president Emmanuel Macron.
July 2019: Debut as a dancehall music producer
In July 2019, Bolt debuted as a dancehall music producer with the release of the Olympe Rosé riddim, featuring tracks from Jamaican dancehall artistes.
November 2019: Release of Immortal Riddim compilation
In November 2019, Usain Bolt followed up with another compilation called Immortal Riddim that included tracks from Vybz Kartel, Masicka, Munga Honorable and Christopher Martin.
May 2020: Birth of daughter Olympia Lightning
In May 2020, Usain Bolt's girlfriend Kasi Bennett gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Olympia Lightning.
January 2021: Release of "Living the Dream" single
In early January 2021, Usain Bolt released a single titled "Living the Dream" with his childhood friend and manager Nugent 'NJ' Walker.
June 2021: Birth of twin sons Thunder and Saint Leo
In June 2021, Bolt and Bennett welcomed twin sons named Thunder and Saint Leo.
July 2021: Considered NFL career
In July 2021, Bolt stated he could have considered a career as a wide receiver in the NFL if rules on violent tackles had been as tightly regulated earlier, but he was concerned about being a high-priced target.
2021: Stated that video games helped him during his Olympic career
In 2021, Bolt shared with the BBC that his love for video games, like Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat, positively influenced his Olympic career.
2021: Partners with SprintRay Inc. to launch Bolt Labs
In 2021, Usain Bolt partnered with SprintRay Inc to launch "Bolt Labs powered by SprintRay" in Jamaica, aiming to increase access to dental care through 3D printing technology.
July 2022: Bolt Mobility ceases operations
In early July 2022, Bolt Mobility abruptly ceased operations, impacting bike-sharing programs in several cities.
January 2023: Fell victim to a fraud scheme
On 19 January 2023, Bolt became the victim of a fraud scheme, leading to the loss of over $12 million from his retirement savings account. The account, held with an investment firm in Kingston, was reduced to $12,000.