Wellesley Bolt, the father of Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, has died. He was 68.
The father-of-three died at a medical facility in Kingston, Jamaica, just hours after he was rushed from his home in Trelawny, according to local news outlet The Gleaner. He had been suffering from a lengthy illness before his death was announced on Monday, March, 31, the Jamaica Observerreported.
Usain has yet to publicly comment on the death of his father.
Wellesley played an influential role in his life and was notably present throughout the sprinter’s many championships over the years alongside his wife Jennifer Bolt.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s father, Wellesley Bolt.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty
Usain revealed that his father was part of the reason why he got into athletics during a recent interview with Wayne Marshall. He said that his first “love” was cricket and this was due to his father being a “massive cricket fan.”
However, when he began to show a talent for sprinting in middle school, he said that his father helped “lead” him the “right way.”
”The [sprinting] coach [started to] complain to my father and say, ‘[Usain is] not [coming to] training… Because I’m going to cricket…,” he recalled. “After a while, my father [comes] and says to me, — explains to me [that] running [is what] I have to do because [there’s] too much politics in cricket.”
He continued, “After grade 7, [my father] said ‘no, no, no. You have to focus, man.’ You’re very good at [sprinting] also, so do that one.’”
As Usain’s sprinting career took off, Wellesley could be seen by his side at several Olympic games. While he chose to watch from home his son win the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he was there in person to witness his son clinch gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2016 Brazil Summer Olympics.
Wellesley lived in Sherwood Content in Trelawny, Jamaica where he ran a shop for 15 years up until 2017, according to the Jamaica Observer. Prior to that, he worked at the coffee board for 16 years, the outlet reported.
Usain Bolt and Wellesley Bolt at IAAF World Championships press conference in 2017.
Eddie Mulholland/Shutterstock
Following the news of his death, tributes have poured in on social media, including one from Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness, who wrote on X that he extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to Usain, Jennifer, and the “entire Bolt family.”
“Mr. Bolt was the father of a global icon, and a strong, quiet force behind one of Jamaica’s greatest sons,” he wrote. “His presence, support, and guidance helped to shape a legacy that continues to inspire the world.”
Holness then directed his words to the Olympic sprinter, writing, “Usain, we have all witnessed the deep love and respect you’ve always shown for your family. You celebrated them with pride, and in doing so, you reminded us of the importance of family in our own lives.”
“As you grieve this great loss, the prayers and support of an entire nation are with you. We mourn with you, we stand with you, and we honor the memory of your father alongside you,” he concluded his post.
Wellesley is survived by his wife Jennifer and children, Usain, Sadiki, and Christine Bolt-Hylton.
