Sixteen years after electrifying the world with a 9.58-second sprint, Usain Bolt just added another title to his already thunderous legacy: ICON.
The Jamaican athlete holds a string of unbelievable world records—most notably the fastest run of 100 meters (male) in just 9.58 seconds.
Bolt’s 100m world record from the 2009 World Championships in Berlin still stands untouched. So does his 200m time of 19.19 seconds. He’s the only man to win three consecutive Olympic golds in both events.
In a surprise ceremony at the Edwardian Hotel in Manchester, Guinness World Records presented Bolt with the ICON certificate as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations. The Jamaican sprint legend, now 38, stood before a wall of his own records—smiling, humbled.
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Bolt said, “I’m honored to be a part of the greats; being an ICON is what I strive for. It shows that the work I put in really matters, and I’m always happy to be recognized by the Guinness World Records book. For years I’ve been in there, and I’ve finally got all the certificates, which are going to look really good in my house.”
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday met Usain to award him his ICON certificate!
Guinness World Records doesn’t hand out ICON status like medals at a school sports day. Bolt now joins a select group that includes polar explorers, record-breaking artists, and medical marvels.
While Bolt retired as a track athlete after the conclusion of the London 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Athletics Championships, his records haven’t. Which begs the question: is he still the fastest man alive—or just the fastest man ever?
