Jamaica's Usain Bolt shattered his own 200 metres world record on August 20th to win gold at the world championships in a breathtaking 19.19 seconds and secure his place as the greatest sprinter ever seen. In Photo: Bolt prepares for a Men's 200m 2nd round heat during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, 2009.

One year exactly after he posted 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Olympics to beat Michael Johnson's ''untouchable'' 19.32 from the Atlanta Games, he sliced another 11 hundredths of a second off.

Bolt has been on a record breaking spree, on Sunday, 16 August 2009, he produced one of the greatest moments in world sport when he lowered the 100 metres world record to an astonishing 9.58 seconds for the world title. In photo: Bolt starts men's 200m 2nd round heat during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

As a child, he attended Waldensia Primary and All-age School, and it was here that he first began sprinting, running in the annual national primary-schools' meeting. By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance.

After entering the high school, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events.

After entering the high school, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events. In photo: Bolt crosses the line to setting a new Men's 100m World Record during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. In photo: Bolt poses beside the indicating board after setting a new Men's 100m World Record in the Men's final at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Bolt started concentrating on his sprinting and soon won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds.