USAIN Bolt’s father has died at 68 after a long battle with illness.
Wellesley Bolt, who oversaw the eight-time Olympic gold medallist’s rise to glory, passed away on Monday in Jamaica, local media confirmed.
Wellesley Bolt has died at 68[/caption]
Tributes have been paid to the ‘quiet force’ behind Usain’s success, here alongside his wife Jennifer Bolt[/caption]
He was an ardent support of his son, Usain, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist[/caption]
Tributes have poured in for the committed father, who has been called the “quiet force” behind the fasted man on Earth.
Wellesley was a well-respected figure in the tight-knit community of Sherwood Content in Trelawny, on Jamaica’s northern coast.
He ran a small grocery shop and, alongside his wife Jennifer Bolt, played a pivotal role in the early success of his world-famous son.
Jennifer died in 2018.
It was in that quiet rural district that Usain Bolt’s legendary sprinting journey began.
He later moved on to attend Williams Knibb High School, where his talent was further nurtured.
Wellesley and Jennifer stuck by their son’s side as he shot up through the world rankings and into global stardom.
The dad was often spotted cheering from the sidelines at major championships.
He was there at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Bolt won his first Olympic gold in the 100m with a world-record time.
As Usain’s fame ballooned, however, Wellesley maintained a low profile – never embracing the limelight.
He leaves behind his children Usain, Sadiki and and Christine Bolt-Hylton.
Usain has previously told an anecdote about his father’s role in his sprinting career.
He told Caribbean National Weekly: “The coach started complaining to my father that I wasn’t coming to training.
“But after a while, my father sat me down and said: ‘Running is what you have to do. There’s too much politics in cricket.’
“He watched the game, he understood how things worked.”
Usain is yet to make a statement regarding his father’s death.
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Wellesley ran a small grocery shop in Trelawny, Jamaica[/caption]