Usain Bolt drops emotional 4-word message for his mother after father's funeral

Usain Bolt recently shared an emotional message for his mother after the funeral of his father Wellesley Bolt. His father had passed away at the age of 68 years due to a long bout of illness.

Bolt uploaded an image of himself with his mother, most probably from the funeral service organized for his father. The Jamaican sprinting sensation assured his mother Jennifer that he'll always be there for her.

Bolt dropped a four word reaction on the Instagram post as he wrote,

"Mom I got you."

A few days ago, Bolt uploaded some pictures from the funeral service organized for his father on his X account [formerly Twitter]. Bolt captioned the post in one word as,

"L E G A C Y"

Several people, including Jamaican PM Andrew Holmes, sent their notes of condolence for Bolt's father. Holmes wrote in a long note on his official X account,

"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."

Usain Bolt's father has left a deep impact on his career. He was present at both the London Olympics and the Rio Olympics along with Bolt's mother, Jennifer, where Bolt won gold medals in both the 100m and the 200m.

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When Usain Bolt listened to his father's advice about sprinting

Usain Bolt with his parents, Jennifer and Wellesley [Image Source : Getty]

Usain Bolt is undoubtedly one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. However, not many know that the decision to join track and field was also influenced by a golden advice from his father, Wellesley Bolt.

Bolt was initially interested in cricket, and played cricket for William Knibb Memorial High School. When a teacher discovered his knack for running, he suggested Bolt to pursue athletics.

Bolt reveals in his autobiography 'Faster than Lightning : My Autobiography' that he confided in his father about the same. His father suggested him to pursue athletics, mentioning that success in cricket might be influenced by politics and favoritism. Bolt wrote,

"Pops set me straight on the matter. Cricket, he said, would prove to be a political game for me, rather than one that was based on my talents and hard work. A coach's team choices were sometimes swayed by favoritism, but in athletics, a person was selected through his times and personal bests."

Usain Bolt didn't completely give up on cricket though. In 2024, when the T20 World Cup was jointly hosted by the USA and the West Indies, Bolt made a cameo in the official anthem composed for the marquee event.