Sprint legend Usain Bolt believes he is a national hero, but he does not expect to receive the official title while alive.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist, who holds the world records for both the 100m and 200m, says he is flattered by the public’s belief that he deserves Jamaica’s highest national honor. However, he remains doubtful that it will be conferred upon him in the near future.
“We know we nah get national hero until we dead. Dat nah happen fi now, so we just a put that out deh,” Bolt said during a recent interview on The Fix podcast.
“Me nah siddung and stress bout dat,” he added.
Despite this, the Trelawny native says he takes pride in being mentioned among global sporting icons like Muhammad Ali and Jesse Owens.
“We always try to uplift Jamaica and put a positive spin out there because you know other people always a talk, and it’s always a negative energy. So we just a try put Jamaica on the map in a positive way,” Bolt said.
He also acknowledged the widespread support he receives from Jamaicans.
“The amount of people who see me and say, ‘Usain, we love wha you do fi the country… you mek ghetto youths waah do better.’ The overwhelming support and how people talk, you can tell that I’ve made a real impact on the country,” he said.
When asked directly if he sees himself as a national hero, Bolt confidently responded, “Yes.”
A national poll conducted in January last year revealed that reggae icon Bob Marley was the public’s top choice for Jamaica’s next national hero. The survey, conducted by Don Anderson’s Market Research Services Limited, showed that 44% of respondents would select Marley over Bolt and cultural icon Louise Bennett-Coverley, popularly known as ‘Miss Lou.’
