Wellesley Bolt, father of track legend Usain Bolt, has died

Track legend Usain Bolt has lost his 68 years old dad, Wesley Bolt, who passed away on Monday after a lengthy illness.

Wellesley was often seen alongside his wife, Jennifer, in the stands as they cheered on their son during his rise to global stardom. He played a vital role in Usain’s early life and was a constant source of encouragement.

In a recent interview on Wayne Marshall’s “The Cut,” Usain spoke about his father’s love of cricket, which also drew him to the sport as a child. He said televised cricket matches were a bonding activity for him and his father.

Usain eventually took an interest in track and field upon entry to William Knibb Memorial High School. He said while he was good at track, cricket was still his passion. It was his father who urged him to take track and field more seriously.

”The coach complained to my father about me not going to training. But after a while, my father came and explained to me that running is what i have to do because there is too much politics in cricket. He watches the game so him knows and understand how things run in cricket,” he said. Usain said his father also always encouraged him to focus on his education.

In 2018, Wellesley was baptized, fulfilling a long-held wish of Jennifer, who had expressed joy in his embrace of Christianity and his leaves behind three children, Usain, Sherine and Sadiki, also known as Sada Bolt.