Why Is Usain Bolt Famous?

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is often referred to as the fastest man in the world. Although he’s known for his astounding speed while racing, what races were the ones that made him famous?

Usain Bolt is famous for being an Olympic gold medalist in sprint racing. He holds eight Olympic gold medals in the 100 meter sprint, the 200 meter sprint, and the 4 x 100 meter relay. 

Usain Bolt is quite simply the star of the Olympic games not only due to his athletic abilities but because of his charm and heart. This combination has captured the hearts of fans across the globe and has made him famous.

Olympic Games

Usain Bolt’s first Olympics were in the summer of 2008 in Beijing. He already held the world record in the 100 meter sprint, having broken the record earlier that year. 

He had ran 100 meters in 9.72 seconds. 

Usain Bolt was a favorite to win at the Summer Olympics that year. He won the 100 meter sprint in a glorious fashion, breaking his own world record and officially clocking in at 9.69 seconds. 

Some sports analysts and critics argued that he shouldn’t have celebrated before reaching the finish line, as he could have gotten an even better time, and argued that his actions might be construed as showboating. 

However, Usain Bolt said that his main goal was not to break a world record but to win gold for his country, Jamaica – and he achieved this. He said it wasn’t showboating but an instinctual response out of happiness because he realized that he would be the first to win gold for Jamaica at the 2008 Olymic games. 

Jamaican officials supported Usain Bolt, with government minister Edmund Bartlett saying, “”It is an unfortunate comment at this time, especially when we are driving young people to become more involved. We have to see it in the glory of their moment and give it to them. We have to allow the personality of youth to express itself.”

 Clearly, Usain Bolt had people on his side – and fans loved his drive. 

Usain Bolt went on to win two more gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics for the 200 meter sprint and as a participant in the 4 x 100 meter relay. 

This exemplary record is demonstrated through his continued wins and positive attitude. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Usain Bolt again won three gold medals in each category; the 100 meter sprint, the 200 meter sprint, and the 4 x 100 meter relay. 

Usain Bolt also won three gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He became the first person to ever win the ‘triple-triple,’ or three gold medals three times at the Olympic games. 

Usain Bolt would actually have a total of nine Olympic gold medals, however, he lost one retroactively due to his teammate, Nestor Carter, who was involved in a doping violation. Although Usain Bolt had to return his Bejing 2008 gold medal for the 4 x 100 relay, his personal record remains unblemished.

Personal Life

Although he is an exemplary athlete and hero to many, Usain Bolt is also just a regular person in his downtime. 

Usain Bolt loves McDonald’s chicken nuggets. In an interview with NBC Sports, he said he sometimes eats, “20 in a pack times eight maybe.”

It may seem strange for an athlete of his caliber to eat fast food, but he says that they work for him. Although true to form, Usain Bolt encourages his young fans to not follow in his footsteps but to, “Eat your vegetables, kids.”

Still, Bolt’s love of chicken nuggets didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest athletes in the world, as evidenced by this throwback photo he posted on Instagram of him racing in Moscow:

Usain Bolt also loves another traditional couch potato passtime – the video game ‘Call of Duty.’ 

In an interview with The Telegraph, Bolt explained one hilarious in-game encounter, joking, “Once I heard a guy say, ‘I’m trying to kill this dude, but he’s as fast as Usain Bolt.’ I was laughing.”

Usain Bolt retired from Olympic racing and has a daughter with his longtime girlfriend, Kasi Bennett. They aptly named their daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt. 

Although Usain Bolt may have retired from racing himself, he still finds time to fit racing in his life, albeit in a unique way – he’s raced tortoises. In an ‘Access Hollywood’ interview, Usain Bolt raced the slow giants against Billy Bush. 

Usain Bolt’s tortoise won, true to form. 

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