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Usain Bolt's father, Wellesley Bolt, passed away at 68 years of age due to a prolonged illness. The Jamaican sprinter shared a heartfelt post for his father on Friday, that garnered tributes from Michael Phelps, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and others.
Bolt's father died in a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, after he was rushed from his home. He was suffering from a 'lengthy illness' (as per a report by Jamaican Observer) and passed away on March 31, 2025.
Almost a week later, Bolt mourned his father's loss with a heartfelt picture of them sharing a hug. He captioned the post:
"🕊️🙏🏿"
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Several athletes paid heartfelt tributes to Bolt's father in the comment section. The most decorated swimmer, Michael Phelps, shared his condolences in the comment section:
"Thoughts n prayers to you and ur family 🙏"
Following him, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also shared her reaction to the post and expressed her condolences:
"🙏🏼❤️"
Justin Gatlin also shared a heartwarming message in the comments:
"Heart goes out to you bro 🕊️Rest In Peace to the Proudest Dad ever🙏🏾"
Cricketing legend Brian Lara was also among the notable entities to offer his condolences in the comments section. In his memoir, Faster than Lightning, published in 2013, Usain Bolt recalled how his father's words persuaded him to opt for a career in track and field instead of cricket.
When Usain Bolt revealed his father's advice that made him choose track over cricket
Before making a name for himself in the track and field world, Usain Bolt played cricket for William Knibb Memorial High School until a teacher insisted he should choose track as his career. Reflecting on this incident, Bolt opened up about his father's advice in his memoir, Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography.
Recalling how his father told him that cricket selection might be affected by politics and favoritism and track is solely based on individual performances, Usain 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," wrote Usain Bolt.
Further mentioning that the outcome in cricket didn't rely solely on one individual, Bolt added:
"In cricket, there are other people involved because it's a team sport. It can get tricky. You could play well, better than anyone else, but if the coach has a favorite, then you might not get picked. That happens quite a lot in life and it's unfair. But in track and field you're the boss of yourself."
Usain Bolt enjoyed a successful career in track and field and still holds the world record for 100m and 200m, which he set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
