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Water feature planned for Bolt statue in Falmouth

Monument to sprint legend to be unveiled December 19

Published:Saturday | October 15, 2022 | 12:08 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates after winning the men’s 200m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China, in August 2015.
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates after winning the men’s 200m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China, in August 2015.

WESTERN BUREAU:

FINALLY! A date has been set for the unveiling of the statue of legendary sprinter and son of Trelawny, Usain Bolt, in his native parish.

Falmouth Mayor Collen Gager revealed the date for the installation of the statue of the double sprint world record holder at the monthly meeting of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

“The Usain Bolt statue will be installed during our Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on December 19,” Gager announced of the eight-time Olympic champion and 11-time World champion.

Information concerning the statue was shared years ago by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange at the National Heritage Week Service held at the William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church in Falmouth in 2019.

“A statue of Usain Bolt has been commissioned and [is] ready to be installed. The statue will be in Water Square, Falmouth,” she told the congregation then.

Since that time, several attempts have been made to erect the statue at the historic fountain in the square.

REDESIGNING OF FOUNTAIN

According to Gager, there will be a redesigning of the fountain to accommodate the statue, while maintaining its history.

“We have had problems with maintenance of the fountain in its present form. It has been used as a garbage receptacle. Persons of unsound mind have used it for bathroom,” Gager explained. “The new design, while having a water effect, will eliminate the use as a garbage receptacle and an undesirable bathroom.”

He disclosed further that the area in which the statue will be displayed is to be embellished.

“The fountain will have lights and water spewing on the statue,” said Gager. “It will be very beautiful, especially at nights.”

Bolt, now 36 years old, was born in Sherwood Content in Trelawny and attended the Waldensia Primary School in that community. From there, he went to William Knibb Memorial High in Martha Brae, where he continued to develop his athletic prowess.

At the GraceKennedy ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, he set records in the Class One 200 and 400 metres.

Today, he is the only athlete to win the 100m and 200m gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games – 2008, 2012 and 2016 – and holds two individual world records in the 100 metres (9.59 seconds) and 200 metres (19.19 seconds). He also helped Jamaica to three 4x100m sprint relay world records, with the current record being 36.84 seconds, which was set at the London 2012 Olympics.

“At the base of the statue, there will be a storyboard with the history of the sprint icon,” Gager shared. “We are looking forward to the visits of people in Water Square, both from the cruise ships as well as locals.”

leon.jackson@gleanerjm.com