Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is known for his supremacy in track and field, but the former sprinter has ventured onto another track, delving into Formula E racing.
The eight-time Olympic gold medallist made a surprise guest appearance as part of a promotion: the fastest man in the fastest electric vehicle, driving the record-breaking GenBETA car ahead of the main event and taking part in the grid walk just prior to the race on Saturday.
Bolt is a well-known fan of Formula 1 racing and has been spotted at various Grand Prix races for the prestigious motor racing competition.
Unlike Formula 1, which showcases hybrid race cars with engines powered by traditional fuel sources, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship features all-electric race cars.
Bolt holds the men’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, but smashed that time - obviously - in the specially modified version of the Gen3 car used in Formula E races, piling through the 100m track in 4.36s.
“This is the first time in my life I’m comfortable saying something is faster than me,” he joked.
“It is like a rocket ship on wheels. Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power from the start was such a surprise and the adrenaline you got is on a different level, easily. Driving the GenBETA was like nothing I’ve experienced before; I was told that as soon as you drive, you don’t want to stop or get out and they were right. I would do it every day if I could.”
Bolt was also gifted a helmet by Formula E World Champion driver Jake Dennis.
The helmet incorporates a green and black colour scheme and features the Jamaican flag, Bolt’s name, and his trademark “to di worl” logo, which showcases his iconic celebratory victory pose.
In addition to meeting Dennis and speaking with former F1 star and Formula E TV presenter David Coulthard, Bolt was also introduced to Bajan Formula 2 driver Zane Maloney. Maloney will serve as a development driver and reserve driver in Formula E’s 10th season.
Tebogo sets sights on Bolt’s 200m world record in the future- “It’s about 10 metres away from me”
Newly crowned Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo has his sights set on Usain Bolt’s 200m world record in the near future.
Bolt, who retired in 2017, has now held the title as the fastest man ever over 200m for 15 years thanks to his otherworldly 19.19 done to win gold at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
The 21-year-old Botswanan ran a personal best and African record 19.46 to claim his first Olympic title recently in Paris.
Tebogo’s time is the ninth fastest in history and makes him the fifth fastest man ever over the distance.
Most recently, Tebogo cruised to an impressive 19.64 to take the win at the Lausanne Diamond League on Thursday.
In an interview with The Inside Lane after Thursday’s race, Tebogo was asked about Bolt’s world record.
“I see it but I don’t want to put myself under that pressure. If it comes it will come eventually,” he said.
In terms of a timeline, Tebogo said the ideal time to try and go after it would be in about three or four years.
“We don’t have to push it this year or next year. Probably when we are 24, that’s when we could attempt something like that,” he said.
“I don’t think it will take long. Looking at what I did today and what I did in the 200m final in Paris, I don’t think it will take that long because I could see it. It’s about 10 metres away from me,” he added.
Tebogo’s next race will be at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday.
Jamaica's veteran coach Glen Mills praised for inspiring coaching seminar in France
Renowned Jamaican coach Glen Mills, who has spent more than five decades shaping some of the world’s fastest sprinters, has been lauded by French track and field coach Yann Edu for the impactful athletic coaching seminar he conducted in Nanterre, France, shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Mills, 74, is a legendary figure in the world of athletics, having guided numerous athletes to global success. Among his most notable accomplishments is coaching Usain Bolt to three consecutive Olympic golds in the 100m and 200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2012 London Olympics, and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Under Mills’ tutelage, Bolt also set world records in both events at the 2009 Berlin World Championships—records that still stand 15 years later.
In addition to Bolt, Mills has also coached other elite sprinters, including Yohan Blake, who became the second-fastest man in history with times of 9.69 seconds in the 100m and 19.26 seconds in the 200m, and Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, who won gold in the 100m at the 2003 World Championships in Paris.
The seminar in Nanterre, which took place on August 12, was part of the first initiatives under the official City Twinning agreement between Nanterre, France, and Spanish Town, Jamaica. This agreement, signed on the margins of the Paris Olympics, aims to foster cultural and athletic exchange between the two cities. The signing was officiated by Mayor of Spanish Town, Councillor Norman Scott, and his counterpart in Nanterre, Raphael Adam, during a ceremony coinciding with Jamaica Day celebrations in Nanterre.
Yann Edu, a track and field coach based in Nanterre, expressed his deep appreciation for the seminar, highlighting the invaluable insights he gained from Mills' vast experience. "It was very nice to see coach Mills. I benefited from his experience, and nobody runs faster than his athletes, so obviously it was a big opportunity for us to meet him and to learn from him," Edu said during an interview conducted by officials from Jamaica's Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport (MCGES).
The seminar provided French coaches and athletes with a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest minds in track and field coaching. Mills shared his expertise on training methodologies, athlete management, and the nuances of sprinting techniques that have led his athletes to extraordinary success on the world stage.
Mills' influence on the sport of athletics is undeniable. He holds the distinction of coaching both the fastest and second-fastest men in history—Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, respectively. His ability to develop athletes to reach their maximum potential has made him a revered figure in the sport, not only in Jamaica but globally.
Alfred inspired by Bolt after 100m triumph at Paris Olympics
Julien Alfred said she was inspired by Usain Bolt after claiming a historic Olympic medal in the women's 100m sprint final on Saturday.
Alfred, who became Saint Lucia's first ever Olympic medallist, finished ahead of reigning world champion Sha'Carri Richardson with a time of 10.72 seconds to win gold.
She announced herself at the start of this Olympic year by winning world indoor 60m gold, also a first by an athlete from St Lucia.
The 23-year-old had previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and improved steadily throughout the season and set a new personal best 10.78 in June.
Alfred will now prepare for the 200m in a bid to create more history for her nation, hoping to emulate Jamaica's Bolt, who won eight gold medals at three different Games.
"Usain Bolt won so many medals, I went back this morning and watched his races," said Alfred. I'm not going to lie, it was all Usain Bolt's races this morning."
Melissa Jefferson claimed the final podium place, with Great Britain's Daryll Neita finishing four-hundredths of a second behind, the best finish by a British female athlete in an Olympic sprint final for 64 years.
"I'm finding it hard to find words at the minute, literally speechless, so close to the medal, so close," Neita told BBC Sport.
"I'm healthy and I have the 200m to contest. I was so close to that medal and I really want that medal but fourth in the Olympics is something to be proud of."
Fellow compatriots Dina Asher-Smith and Imani-Lara Lansiquot failed to reach the final, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrawing from the competition before her semi-final.
Asher-Smith finished fifth in her semi-final in 11.10 and Lansiquot missed out after running 11.21.
"I'm just disappointed because I'm in great shape and have been in great shape all season. I fully expected to make that final, the race wasn't even fast," Asher-Smith told BBC Sport.
"I know I'm in a lot better shape than that. I just go on to the 200m, but again I'm fully disappointed. I should have made that."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
