An eight-time Olympic gold medallist and one of the greatest sprinters of all-time, Usain Bolt celebrates his 34th birthday on August 21, 2020 (Friday). Bolt is the only sprinter to win the 100m and 200m titles in three successive Olympic events. He also has won two relay gold medals at the Olympics. He wrote his name into history when Bolt sprinted to gold medals in both 100m and 200m in record time at the 2008 Olympics, making him the first sprinter to hold record time in both the 100m and 200m at the same time. On his 34th birthday, take a look at some throwback videos when Bolt created history and sent the world into a hysteria. Usain Bolt Urges Fans to Practise Social Distancing Using Iconic Picture From His 2008 Beijing Olympics 100m Sprint Win.

Bolt, or Lightning Bolt as he is known today, broke the world record for 100m and 200m twice within a year. He first clocked 9.69 in 100 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to create a new world record and then followed it with another world breaking sprint at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Germany. Bolt clocked 9.58 seconds to leave fans and the world in disbelief. He also broke the 200m world record at the same event improving his own record by 0.11 seconds.

World Athletics Championships 2009 – 100 metres

Exactly a year after he had stunned the world with a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and just five days far from his 23rd birthday, Bolt ran perhaps the greatest race ever to have taken place. It was epic scenes at the 1009 World Championships as the Jamaican shattered his own record and won the race after clocking 9.58 seconds. Bolt had shaved off a staggering 0.11 seconds off the 9.69 mark (his previous WR in 100m) to create a new record.

World Athletics Championships 2009 – 200 metres

Just four days after shattering the records, Bolt returned to the tracks and created a world record again. He stormed to victory and completed the 200 metres in record 19.19 seconds. Once again lightning Bolt slashed 0.11secs from his Beijing time and set a new world record.

London Olympics 2012 – 4x100metres relay

Bolt partnered with fellow Jamaicans Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake to win the 4x100 metre relay team. They clocked 36.84 seconds to create a new world record improving their previous best from 2011. The Jamaican quartet broke both the previous Olympic and world record with their run.

Bolt retired from the track in 2017 after the World Championships. He won a bronze medal in 100m at the 2017 World Championships making but failed to make the podium in both 200m and the 4x100m relay team event. In his final race, Bolt pulled up in agony with only 50 metres to go and collapsed to the track after a hamstring injury. He retired as the most successful sprinter and the greatest of them all. Go wall, Lightning Bolt!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).