“I don’t need to prove anything else, what else can I do to prove to the world I am the greatest?” Indeed. Nine years ago, after his Rio Olympics chapter, Usain Bolt said those words. At that point, the Jamaican icon had already secured eight Olympic gold medals and eleven world championship titles. On top of that, he set blazing records in the 100m and 200m marks – that, even years later, remain untouched. With such an extraordinary legacy, Bolt stands among the greatest athletes ever.

World Athletics honored him, nations celebrated him, and millions of fans adored him. Even his fiercest rivals—Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay—admit that the track may never see another Usain Bolt. Former athlete and analyst Rodney Green has even cautioned against comparing Bolt with any other sprinting star. Why? Because trying to measure up to the Jamaican legend could create unbearable pressure for today’s athletes. Bolt’s greatness isn’t defined solely by titles—it goes far beyond that. And now, as the Sherwood-born icon approaches his 39th birthday on August 21, here are some remarkable facts that prove why he truly is the GOAT.

Usain Bolt didn’t start as a 100m winner

9.58 seconds over 100 meters! Can anyone ever run faster than that? Only the future can answer—but for now, the record still stands untouched. At the 2009 IAAF World Championships, Bolt stormed through the men’s 100m final in 9.58 seconds, leaving the athletics world stunned—not just by the time, but by the sheer dominance he displayed. How did he get there? Just a year earlier, he had shattered the 100m world record with his trademark effortless stride, proving himself a natural phenomenon. His 9.69-second run in 2008 was a preview of greatness—he broke the record with ease, even easing up before the finish line. Fans may already know that story. But here’s something they might not: before 2008, Bolt had only raced the 100m once in 2007, and in 2006, he didn’t run the distance at all. Why was that?

Usain Bolt’s career didn’t begin with the 100m—he first made his mark in the 200m and 400m, and even competed in the 1000m medley during his early days. The real shift came in 2007, when he lined up for the men’s 100m at the Rethymno Vardinoyiannia meet in Greece. His time there wasn’t particularly promising, offering little sign of what was to come. Yet, within a year, Bolt managed to cut nearly half a second off that mark, storming to a world record at the Beijing Olympics. Still, the journey wasn’t as simple as it now appears. Bolt had to convince his coach, Glen Mills, to let him try the 100m—and when given the chance, he proved his instinct was right.

The only defeat that Bolt had

2008 was the year Usain Bolt truly announced his greatness to the world. At the 2007 World Championships, the then 20-year-old had to settle for silver in the 200m, finishing behind Tyson Gay. It would turn out over the next decade, he remained unbeaten in the event—and as for Tyson Gay, his battles with Bolt in the 100m only added to a string of disappointing finishes against the Jamaican star

The change after fatal experience 

In August 2009, Usain Bolt lit up the World Championships in Berlin by setting world records in both the 100m and 200m. Yet, just four months earlier, his story could have taken a very different turn—he had crashed his car into a ditch on a Jamaican highway. Hard to believe, right? Though he escaped serious harm, he did require minor surgery on his left foot after stepping on thorns while climbing out of the wreck. The incident left a mark on him, though—not physically, but mentally.

“After something like that, you look at life through and over, and look at what has gone wrong, where you should improve or should be careful,” Bolt reflected afterward. By May, he was already back competing, taking on a 150m straight race in Manchester despite his coach’s advice against it. And from there, as the saying goes, the rest was history.

So, do these moments reveal the lesser-known sides of the Jamaican legend? Don’t overlook his humanitarian spirit. In 2015, Brazilian Paralympian Terezinha Guilhermina had the chance to run alongside Usain Bolt, with him serving as her guide during an exhibition ahead of the Mano a Mano Athletics Challenge at the Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro. For her, it was a dream fulfilled; for Bolt, it was pure joy. And now, as he turns 39, let’s come together to celebrate the legend.