Following in Usain Bolt’s rapid footsteps sounds like a thankless task for any Jamaican athlete.
But a 16-year-old from the Caribbean island is already making inroads into the athletics legend’s stunning list of achievements. Last month, sprint sensation Nickecoy Bramwell took Bolt’s under-17 400m world record at the Carifta Games in Grenada. The youngster clocked 47.26 seconds to beat the record, which had stood for 22 years, by 0.07.
Bramwell, who has overcome some injury issues, now wants more of Bolt’s records. He said: "It's a wonderful feeling to break the record. Since last summer, I have been eyeing the record.
"So it's a great feeling I could come out here and get it. I just took my mind off it and focused on the record. I'm looking forward to better things.”
Like Bolt, the Kingston school pupil also excels in the shorter distances, with a personal best of 10.94 in the 100m and 21.45 in the 200m. While time is on the teenager’s side, Bramwell still has some way to go before matching his illustrious compatriot’s CV.
Bolt, 37, who retired in 2017, has eight Olympic gold medals and still holds world records in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay. He now spends his athletics retirement with his family while also dabbling in celebrity charity events, like playing in Soccer Aid.
No doubt excited by Bramwell’s potential, he is keen to see more personalities in the sport. He said: “After me, it kind of went down because of who I was as a person, and how big my personality was.
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“But I think over time it will be better. I think young athletes are coming up and I see a few personalities that are needed in sport, hopefully in the upcoming years it will change.”
Bolt is also keen to put something back into the sport that made him a household name and could soon take up a role with its governing body, World Athletics.
“I'm still waiting on a position from,” he said recently. “I've reached out to them and let them know I would love to make a bigger impact in sports, as long as they want me to. We've been in talks but we'll have to wait and see what comes around.”