(Sports news) Usain Bolt is still the fastest sprinter in the world despite retiring in August 2017 and the 36 year old is a 19 time global champion. He was awarded the gold medal in three consecutive Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 in the 100m and 200m categories, clocking a record time of 9.58 seconds (100m) at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He still holds the world record in the 200m category of 19.19 seconds, which was set just four days after his record in Berlin, winning a total of 11 golds across four World Championships.

Bolt won his first medals (silvers in the 200m and 4x100m) in Osaka, 2007. He then won an unprecedented ‘triple triple’ of Olympic gold medals at the Rio Olympics but lost his 2008 4x100m title after team-mate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance. By winning the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, he joins the illustrious list of Billie Jean King, Pele, Bobby Charlton, Tanni Grey-Thompson, David Beckham, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Chris Hoy and last year’s recipient Simone Biles.

“I’m living proof that if you work hard, you can get anything you want” Bolt said. “One thing my dad taught me was if you want something, work hard for it. He showed me by working hard to provide for me, my mum and my sister, so when he told me, I believed it. Just be focused and work towards it. Everything happens for a reason. I could have gone to Daegu and won and then false-started at the Olympics. It reminded me to stick to what I knew. It kept me focused and kept me going.”

Reflecting on his athletics career, Bolt said: “I feel accomplished. I accomplished all I wanted to in my sport. It is a great feeling to know that with the determination and sacrifice that I put in I could accomplish what I wanted to. I try to motivate people by telling them to believe in themselves.”

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