1. Usain Bolt: Usain Bolt was born on August 21, 1986 in Jamaica
2. Height: Usain Bolt is 1.96m tall, which is very tall for a sprinter. He reached his current height at the age of 15
3. Youth: As a youngster, Usain Bolt spent most of his time playing and thinking about sports. He especially loved playing soccer and cricket
4. The beginning: In high school, Usain took up athletics and in 2001 he won a silver medal in the 200-meter race at the Jamaican High School Championships. However, he didn’t take athletics – or himself – very seriously at first; at the World Youth Athletics Championships later in 2001, he hid in the back of a van instead of improving for the 200-meter final. He was arrested by the police for his little ‘practical joke’ and the whole affair sparked a minor outcry in the local community. Despite his lack of seriousness, he performed well as a junior athlete and won many medals; including 4 gold medals at the 2003 CARIFTA games
5. Professional: Under the guidance of his new coach, Fitz Coleman, Usain Bolt turned professional in 2004. That same year he also participated in his first Olympics (read more below)
6. Top speed: Usain Bolt can run at 38 km/h, which is equivalent to the top speed of a bear or elephant
7. Hobbies: Usain’s hobbies include cricket (as in his youth), dancing and DJ’ing. He has also stated that he would like to play football for Manchester United when he retires from running one day
8. Nickname: Usain Bolt’s nickname is Lightning Bolt, which fits very well with his characteristic victory pose
9. App: Usain has his app called ‘Bolt!’, which is a game where you have to outrun pirates and collect gold coins. The app has been downloaded more than 3 million times!
10. Restaurant: Usain Bolt has his own sports bar and restaurant called ‘Tracks & Records’ in the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica

Fact: Usain Bolt’s top speed is 44.72 km/h, which is also the speed record for a human in a 100-meter race. The speed is also roughly equivalent to the top speed of bears and elephants in races

 

Olympic Games

• At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Usain Bolt suffered a leg injury and did not make it past the first round of the 200-meter race
• Usain took the 2008 Beijing Olympics by storm; he won the 100-meter race with a record time of 9.67 seconds and the 200-meter race with a record time of 19.30 seconds. Along with his fellow Jamaicans, he also won the 4 x 100-meter race (a relay race)
• At the London 2012 Olympic Games, Usain Bolt won the 100-meter race and set an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds. He also won the 200-meter race and the 4×100-meter. In the latter, he set a new world record with a time of 36.84 seconds

Fact: Usain Bolt’s characteristic victory pose is reminiscent of a lightning bolt, which fits with his nickname ‘Lightning Bolt’

 

World Championships

• At the World Championships in Helsinki 2005, he qualified for the final, but finished last
• At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter race
• At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Bolt improved his 100-meter world record by 0.11 seconds to 9.58. He also improved his 200-meter world record by 0.11 seconds to 19.19