Usain Bolt has spent 17 years watching the world’s fastest sprinters chase his records, with his 9.58-second 100m world record and 19.19-second 200m mark still untouched. Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley and other elite sprinters have all been part of the conversation, while the new generation, led by Gout Gout, is also beginning to close the gap. Yet despite years of challengers coming after his records, Bolt appears to have one big reason for hoping they remain untouched for at least the next six or seven years.

Speaking to Laureus Sport on August 17, the four-time Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and World Athletics Ultimate Legend explained why he wants his records to remain intact for a little longer. “I think I want it to last at least till my kids understand who I am,” Bolt said.

That personal touch is more to Bolt than having his name be the top of the record books. The Jamaican sprinter hopes his children will be old enough to value their father’s tremendous accomplishments in his amazing career. Bolt’s longtime partner, Kasi Bennett, has three children. They had a daughter named Olympia Lightning Bolt and twin sons (Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt) born in May 2021.

Bolt’s kids aren’t that old yet, and he’ll have to wait until they understand the extent of his success. 

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“When my kids get to the point where I can say, hey, your dad is the fastest man in the world, these are my real records, then they can say, oh my god, yeah,” he explained.

For Bolt, that would be enough. He does not appear desperate to keep his records forever. Instead, he wants his children to understand their significance while they still belong to him.

“Then after that, it doesn’t matter. You know what I mean? So maybe like another six, seven years, then I’m cool,” he said. Bolt established his 100m world record at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, clocking 9.58 seconds.  Just days later in Berlin, Bolt produced another historic performance in the 200m. He stopped the clock at 19.19 seconds, lowering his own world record once again.

Neither mark has been broken since, but while the records continue to attract the world’s best sprinters, Bolt’s biggest reason for wanting them to survive is much closer to home.

Are Bolt’s children following him into athletics?

While Bolt has noticed signs of athletic ability in his children, there is currently no indication that any of them has begun a competitive track and field career. Still, he has introduced them to some sporting activities and has even helped his daughter, Olympia, learn swimming and some of the mechanics of sprinting. However, Bolt has made it clear that he has no intention of forcing his children to follow the same path he did.

“I’m not gonna force her to do anything. Anything she wants to do would be fine with me,” Bolt previously told Variety. The Jamaican star has also spoken about his children’s physical development, noting that they appear to be growing quickly. But for Bolt, their interests matter far more than whether they inherit his passion for sprinting.

“I’m sure they’re going to be tall, I can tell. When they get their checkup, they’re like, ‘Wow. They’re really growing. They’re going to be tall.’ So, I know that much, but for me, anything they want to do, I’m just going to support them,” Bolt said. He has been equally clear that athletics is not something he expects from them.

“That’s always a key thing: Just support your child in whatever they want to do. So if they don’t want to run, if they don’t want to do sports, I’m okay with it.” That makes Bolt’s latest comments about his world records even more personal. He is not trying to control who eventually takes his place in the record books.