Jamaica's Usain Bolt sprints to victory and rise to stardom in the Beijing Olympics 100 metre race and sets a new world record of 9.69 seconds. With world champion Tyson Gay out in the semifinals, the 21-year-old Jamaican seemingly only had Asafa Powell to beat, but when he looked around and realized he was all clear with 30 metres to go.
Well behind, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver medal in 9.89, and Walter Dix of the United States was third in 9.91.
Powell again crumbled under the pressure of a big competition and finished fifth.
"Usain was spectacular," Powell said. "He was definitely untouchable."
Who Is Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt was born on August 21, 1986, Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter. He is the reigning Olympic champion over 100 meters and holds both world and Olympic 100 meters records with a time of 9.69 seconds. Bolt is also the world junior record holder in the 200 meters (19.93 seconds), and Jamaican national record holder in the 200 meters (19.67 seconds). His name and achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt."
Bolt was born in Trelawny, Jamaica, to Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt. As a child he was successful in the annual, national primary schools' meeting for his parish, and enjoyed playing cricket, specializing in fast bowling. Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events. Pablo McNeil and Dwayne Barrett coached
Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of athletic success with past students including Michael Green. Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, attaining the silver medal in the 200 meters with a time of 22.04 seconds.Performing in his first Caribbean national event, Bolt clocked a personal best of 48.28 seconds in the 400 meters in the 2001 CARIFTA games, earning himself a silver medal. The 200 meters also yielded a silver as Bolt finished in 21.81 seconds. He made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Running in the 200 meters event, he failed to qualify for the finals but he still set a new personal best of 21.73 seconds. In 2002 Bolt won both the 200 and 400 meters events in the High School Championships, CARIFTA Games and Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. He set championship records for both 200 and 400 meters in the 2002 CARIFTA games with 21.12 seconds and 47.33 seconds respectively. He continued to set records, with 20.61 seconds and 47.12 seconds finishes at the CAC Junior Championships.
Bolt grew up in Trelawny, Jamaica, with his parents, Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt, and his sister Sherine. Bolt expresses a love for dancing and his character is frequently described as laid-back and relaxed. The first sport to interest him was cricket and he said if he wasn't a sprinter he would be a fast bowler instead. Bolt's Jamaican track and field idols include Herb McKenley and, former Jamaican 200 meters record holder, Don Quarrie. Michael Johnson, the 200 meters world and Olympic record holder, is also held in high esteem by Bolt.
After winning the 200 meters title in the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma. To promote Bolt's chase for Olympic glory in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Puma released a series of videos including Bolt's then-world-record-setting run in Icahn Stadium and his Olympic preparations. During the Beijing 2008 100 meters final, Bolt wore golden Puma spikes that had "Beijing 100m Gold" emblazoned across them.
FYI - Behind Sports
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