London 2012 Olympics Profile: Usain Bolt...the fastest man on the planet

 
Jamaica's Usain Bolt competes in the men's 100m heats at the athletics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London
Getty
6 August 2012

Usain Bolt is not only the fastest man on the planet, he is also one of the world's most famous sportsmen.

The larger-than-life character became a household name when he won three gold medals at the Beijing Games, in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, breaking the world record in the process.

He went on to better that a year later at the World Championships with a new world record of 9.58 seconds.

But despite his impressive times, Bolt had not even originally been seen as a contender over the 100m in Beijing.

Born in Trelawny, Jamaica, Bolt burst on to the scene at 15 when he won gold in the 200m at the World Junior Championships in Kingston and silver in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

A year later he won gold in the 200m at the World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada.

In 2004 he became the first junior to break the 20-second mark in the 200m, clocking 19.93 seconds.

Further glory followed, with the now 25-year-old going on to win title after title.

At 6ft 5ins Bolt is a formidable figure but has often spoken of his laid-back approach to training, admitting he tends to eat and drink what he likes and does not spend as much time in the gym as he should.

After Beijing it even emerged that his snack of choice before races was chicken nuggets.

He has also had his fair share of injuries.

In 2009 he underwent minor foot surgery after being injured when his BMW M3 car skidded off the road outside Kingston and overturned.

He cut short his 2010 season due to Achilles and back problems and more recently he admitted he had been suffering from a stiff back which was causing a hamstring problem.

But before last night's race he had insisted he was fit and raring to defend his title.

With multiple sponsorship deals under his belt with Puma and Visa among others, Bolt's image is already plastered over billboards around the world.

The charismatic showman has also won himself legions of fans with his sense of humour and trademark gestures which he pulls out on demand.

After last night's success he is sure to be set for further stardom as he showed that no one is to take his title as the fastest man in the world just yet.

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