The father of Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, has died after a lengthy illness, according to local reports.
Wellesley Bolt, 68, was described as the “quiet force” behind the sprinter and was regularly spotted in the stands alongside his wife Jennifer, throughout the sprinter’s golden career.
The couple ran a grocery store in Trelawny in northwest Jamaica for 15 years up to 2017, even when their son became one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history, the Jamaica Observer reported.
Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, offered his condolences in a heartfelt message.
“I join with every Jamaican in extending my deepest and most sincere condolences to @usainbolt, his beloved mother Mrs. Jennifer Bolt, and the entire Bolt family, following the passing of their patriarch, Mr. Wellesley Bolt,” he wrote.
Mr Bolt was not there in person to see his son win his first Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, opting to watch it on TV at home as he was not fond of flying.
Bolt’s sponsor at the time convinced his father to travel to Beijing for the 200 metres final, but the race was run while the sprinter’s father was in the air.
He landed to discover that his son had won his second Olympic title. Since then Wellesley Bolt never missed another one of his son’s races.
Usain Bolt also turned heads that year when he explained that he ate roughly 1,000 chicken nuggets during his time at the Athletes’ Village in Beijing.
Fist pumping volunteers, dancing seconds before races and his famous lightning bolt celebration made Usain Bolt the face of athletics for over a decade.
But Bolt is probably best remembered by Londoners for his characterful 2012 Olympics, where he defended his three Olympic titles.
Bolt, then aged 25, went on to win the 200 metres before Jamaica broke the world record in the 4x100m relay.
He joked: “I would change the speed limit. Everything is too slow in London.”
The sprinter later went on to become the first athlete to win three Olympic 100m and 200m titles.
He claimed an unprecedented 'triple triple' and his ninth gold as Jamaica won the 4x100m relay final in Rio.
But Bolt and the Jamaican team were stripped of their 4x100m relay gold from the Beijing Olympic Games after teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of a doping offence in 2017.
