Wellesley Bolt: 5 things to remember about father of fastest man alive

Usain Bolt’s father, , has died aged 68, after a long battle with illness.

The sad news has led to tributes being poured in memory of a man who gave birth to the world’s fastest man alive, whose records are yet to be broken more than a decade since setting them.

brings you the 5 things to remember about the father of the fastest man.  

 Wellesley has often been credited for the stunning success that his son, Usain, found in his career — having won eight Olympic gold medals before retiring, according to the

Taiwo Atieno has urged Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence to visit Kenya and meet Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy before deciding on his international future.

Bolt is said to have maintained a close relationship with his father, who was often seen celebrating with the Jamaican track star after his races .

Wellesley worked in the coffee industry for 16 years before managing a local grocery store with wife Jennifer, providing for their family in a community with limited resources like running water and paved roads

When won his first Olympic gold medal–setting a then-world-record 9.69 in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics–his mother was in attendance, but his father was watching from home.

Benni McCarthy is determined to transform Harambee Stars into a dominant force in African football ahead of the upcoming CHAN tournament.

Digicel, Bolt’s sponsor at the time, convinced his father to get to Beijing for the 100m final, but he was in the air when Bolt set another world record, this time capturing gold in the 200m.

Whenwas still living at home, he received a scholarship to William Knibb, a high school about 12 km north of his family’s village.

Not only would his father wake Bolt up at 5:30 a.m. because he didn’t “believe in lateness to school,” but he made surprise visits. While he was strict, Wellesley, who has two older children from two different women, knows his son is grateful.

While Bolt traded in the small country-life of Tralawny, Jamaica, for the bright lights of Kingston at the age of 15, his dad decided to remain in the same rugged village they’ve been for most of their lives.

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy will have to find another reliable local-based player in a key defensive position after the country’s first-choice secured a dream move abroad.

Despite Usain’s global fame, Wellesley remained rooted in Sherwood Content, resisting the urge to leave even as Usain’s success brought improvements like better infrastructure to their village.