Bolt! Up Next. [133], Bolt started the season competing in the 400 metres in order to improve his speed, winning two races and registering 45.54 s in Kingston,[134] and windy conditions gave him his first sub-10 seconds finish of the season in the 100 m in March. [1] By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance. He won three gold medals in the 2008 summer Olympics, three gold medals in the 2012 summer Olympics, and three more gold medals in the 2016 summer Olympics. [141], The 2009 World Championships were held during August at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, which was coincidentally the same month and venue where Jesse Owens had achieved world-wide fame 73 years earlier. He broke the 200 m and 400 m records with times of 20.25 s and 45.35 s, respectively. Rival Tyson Gay suggested that Bolt's 100 m record was within his grasp, but Bolt dismissed the claim and instead noted that he was more interested in Asafa Powell's return from injury. [149] Bolt pointed out that an important factor in his performance at the World Championships was his improved start to the races: his reaction times in the 100 m (0.146)[150] and 200 m (0.133)[151] were significantly faster than those he had produced in his world record runs at the Beijing Olympics. "You didn't finish. Usain Bolt: 3 Olympics, 3 races, 3 gold medals. [304] Bolt founded the micromobility company, which provides electric scooters and other yet-to-be released mobility devices, such as the company's upcoming Bolt Nano. [152][153] However, he, together with other members of Jamaican 4×100 m relay team, fell short of their own world record of 37.10 s set at 2008 Summer Olympics by timing 37.31 s, which is, however, a championship record and the second fastest time in history at that date. [177] He defeated Asafa Powell with runs of 9.76 seconds in Rome and 9.79 in Oslo. [146] He won the 200 m race by the largest margin in World Championships history, even though the race had three other athletes running under 19.90 seconds, the greatest number ever in the event. He remained unbeaten in the 200 m and his only loss that year was to Gatlin over 100 m in Rome. Biomechanics researchers have studied, with no firm conclusions, whether this asymmetry has helped or hurt Bolt in his sprinting career. [287] Among those who attended the party were Manchester City football player Raheem Sterling, who was also advised to self-isolate after his possible exposure to the virus.[288]. With a time of 36.84 seconds, they knocked two tenths of a second from their previous world record from 2011. [1] He is Catholic and known for making the sign of the cross before racing competitively, and he wears a Miraculous Medal during his races. [96] Olympic medallist Kriss Akabusi construed Bolt's chest slapping before the finish line as showboating, noting that the actions cost Bolt an even faster record time. He ran the last 100 m in 8.70, the fastest ever recorded time over a 100 m distance. [279] Later that month, Perth Glory forward Andy Keogh was critical of Bolt's ability, stating his first touch is "like a trampoline." After winning the 200 m title in the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma. However, his teammate failing a drug test caused Usain to lose his medal for the relay event. —Tom Hammond, NBC Sports, with the call for the men's 100 metres final at the 2008 Summer Olympics. [9][147] Bolt's pace impressed even the more experienced of his competitors; third-placed Wallace Spearmon complimented his speed,[148] and the Olympic champion in Athens 2004 Shawn Crawford said "Just coming out there...I felt like I was in a video game, that guy was moving – fast". We recap each of Bolt… [97] IOC president Jacques Rogge also condemned the Jamaican's actions as disrespectful. I want to be among greats Muhammad Ali and Pelé. [172] Though this was short of his world record times of the two previous major tournaments, it was the fourth fastest run ever at that point, after his own records and Michael Johnson's former record, and left him three tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Walter Dix.