August 16, 2008: Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt sets a new world record for the 100-meter dash at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
Bolt started sprinting in elementary school, and first competed for Jamaica in 2001 when he was just 15. From then on, Bolt quickly rose to prominence at the 2001 CARIFTA Games, an annual track and field competition for men and women under 20 in the Caribbean, earning two silver medals in the 200m and 400m dash.
Soon afterwards, Bolt began winning gold medals at several youth and junior world competitions, and eventually turned professional in 2004.
Although Bolt attended the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a leg injury limited his abilities and he was eliminated in the first round of the 200-meters.
In the following years, Bolt would go on to break several Jamaican national records as well as world records, most notably Asafa Powell's 100m dash record at the Reebok Grand Prix in 2007 with a time of 9.72 seconds.
However, during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bolt's new record would fall, as he famously broke his own world record in the 100m dash with a time of 9.69 seconds, winning the gold medal as well. Bolt went on to win gold in both the 200m and the 4x100m relay, setting a new world record in both competitions.
The following year, Bolt would break his world record in the 100m dash once more, with a scorching time of 9.58 seconds.
Bolt stole the show again at the 2012 London Olympics, breaking his own Olympic record in the 100m dash with a time of 9.63 seconds. Bolt also defended his gold medal in the 200m and the 4x100m relay, making him the first man in history to do so.
Despite speculation that the London Olympics would be his last, Bolt has announced that he intends to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and will retire afterwards.
