"I don’t think we should look for another Usain Bolt" - Former Olympic medalist on a new face for track and field

Former Olympic silver medalist Colin Jackson has claimed that Usain Bolt had everything to become a sports star.

Jackson, who recently visited Kolkata as the international event ambassador for the marathon event "Tata Steel Kolkata 25K", was asked by Sportskeeda if there has ever been a track and field athlete who could dominate the sport like Bolt did.

The Welshman responded by hailing Bolt, stating that he had everything required to become a sports star, including success, style, charisma, coming from Jamaica, a nation that had a sense of coolness about it.

"Usain had everything that is needed to be a sports star. He was successful on the field of play, he had style, he had charisma and he had Jamaica, which had a sense of coolness about it, so that’s what you want," Jackson said.

"Nobody in the world is threatened by Jamaica. I mean, you talk about Jamaica as an island, everyone says, ‘Yes’. They would love to visit. So, for me, that’s what I love about it. To have that perfect storm anywhere else, maybe not," he added.

Jackson also claimed that the world shouldn't look for another Usain Bolt since he was an exception. He added that whoever would come next in terms of dominance, needs to have style and a story about where they came from.

"I don’t think we should look for another Usain Bolt because Usain Bolt is Usain Bolt. Whoever the next person is who has the ability, and they could come from Bengal. There’s nothing stopping it, you know. If that was the case, again it would be very similar to Usain if they came to be a top sports star," the 56-year-old said.

"They have style, there’s some energy about where they’re from, there’s a story to be told. So, you need to get all those things together. So, it’s not just about being a great performer. You need to have everything else that goes alongside that as well," he added.

Usain Bolt holds 100 & 200m world records

Bolt at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Bolt had a glittering athletics career throughout which he set world records in 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay disciplines.

The Jamaican won eight Olympic gold medals, three each in the 100m and 200m events, and two in the 4x100m relay. He also bagged 14 medals at the World Championships, including 11 gold.

Bolt retired at the 2017 World Championships in London, with his last race coming at the 100m event. The Jamaican finished third behind Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman.