A Jamaican teenager has made history by breaking Usian Bolt’s world record in the Under-17 400m event.
Nickecoy Bramwell has shattered the eight-time Olympic gold medallist’s time by 0.07 seconds.
Bolt set a time of 47.33 seconds in the event 22-years ago, which had stood as the record – until now.
At just 16-years old, Bramwell is the new U17 record holder having come home in 47.26 seconds.
It was at the 51st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium in Grenada that the teenager etched his name into the history books.
Bramwell had come into the race with a number of concerns around his fitness.
But he put them all to bed when he beat his nearest opponent by an impressive 0.7 seconds.
Reflecting on his outstanding achievement, Bramwell 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.”
Bramwell, who is still a student at Calabar High in Kingston, looks set to follow in the steps of greatness after breaking one of Bolt’s records.
In addition to Bolt’s Olympic medals, he holds 11 World Championship titles and remains a world-record holder in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay.
Bolt is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all-time and the 400m distance was never his true speciality beyond youth level.
The 37-year-old, who retired in 2017, now spends most of his time with family and often appears in charitable events such as Soccer Aid.
He is also keen to help develop the next generation of athletes. Speaking last year, Bolt said: “I spend my time doing a lot of family things, when it comes to track and field, not as much as I would want to but I still try and stay in touch with what is going on.
“I’m still waiting on a position from (World Athletics), 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.”
Bolt added: “After me, it kind of went down because of who I was as a person, and how big my personality was.
“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.
“Hopefully I can play a part and help the sport to grow.”
If Bramwell’s career turns out to be anything like Bolt’s, then the world of athletics could be in for a treat.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
