Usain Bolt has been repeatedly recognized as the best athlete of the year by various organizations. Not only athletics fans know about this Jamaican runner. His sporting achievements and somewhat explosive character, as well as his signature gesture, invariably attract the attention of the public.
The beginning of the way
Now one of the brightest and most famous athletes, Usain Bolt was born in 1986 to the family of owners of a small grocery store in the Jamaican village of Sherwood Content. In elementary school, his favorite sport was cricket. After entering high school in cricket competitions, he was noticed by the school athletics coach Pablo McNeil. Already in 2001, he received his first medal: he took second place at his school in the 200 m race.
In the same 2001, Usain Bolt performs for the first time at international competitions - the CARIFTA Games in Bridgetown. Here he takes two second places at distances of 200 and 400 m. After that, he gets into the junior national team of Jamaica and goes to the junior championship in Hungary, but there he did not manage to reach the final of the competition.
In 2002, he was recognized as the winner in the category "Rising Star" by the IAAF, because won the 200m at the Junior World Championships, became the first at the CARIFTA Games in Nassau at the 200, 400m and 4x400m relay. In 2003, at the Pan American Junior Championships, he set a still unrivaled 200m record among young men - 20, 13 p.
First professional successes
In 2004, Usain Bolt moved to a new coach, Fitz Coleman. From 2004 to 2006, the athlete was periodically tormented by pain in his leg, which prevented him from climbing to the highest steps of the pedestals. At his first Olympics in Athens, he was unable to overcome the qualifying races.
The first adult world championship for Bolt was held in 2007. Here he won silver in the 200 m distance with a result of 19, 91 s, as well as silver in the 4x100 m relay with a national record of 37, 89 s.
Highest achievements
At the Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt competes in the 100 and 200 m races. At the 100 m distance, he won the first Olympic gold medal, winning with a new world record of 9.69 seconds. A few days later, competing in the 200 m race, Bolt wins his second "gold", covering the distance in 19, 30 s. Here he also receives the third gold medal in the 4x100 m relay, where his team was also able to set an Olympic and world record - 37, 10 s.
In 2009, in all competitions where the athlete took part, victories were won. At the World Championships in Berlin, he set a new world record at a distance of 100 m - 9.58 s, which has not yet been surpassed by anyone. In the 200 m race, he also managed to set a new record - 19, 19 s. It is worth noting that he then broke his own world records. In 2008 and 2009, Usain Bolt was recognized as the best athlete of the year.
Before the 2012 Olympics in the qualifying competitions, the athlete took only second place, behind his teammate Johan Blake. At the Olympic Games in London, he was again the best: he won gold at a distance of 100 m with a new Olympic record of 9.63 s, won the final 200 m race, and on the last day of the Olympics, together with his teammates, won relay 4x100 m, setting a new world record - 36, 84 s.
At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Usain Bolt again won gold medals in all starts: at distances of 200 and 400 m, as well as in the 4x100 m relay.
Usain Bolt's performance at the 2018 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is still in doubt, he may have to end his sprint career earlier. His achievements amaze spectators and sports fans, it is not in vain that the six-time Olympic champion and eight-time world champion, who set 8 world records, was given the nickname "Lightning Strike".
