‘Looking forward to better things’ – Jamaican 16-year-old Nickecoy Bramwell aiming for glory after breaking Usain Bolt’s 22-year world record
Usain Bolt thinks he left a void in male Jamaican sprinting after retiring. But somebody capable of stepping into his shoes may have emerged earlier this year. SportMax TV YouTubeNickecoy Bramwell is being tipped for a bright future[/caption] Schoolboy Nickecoy Bramwell shattered the eight-time Olympic gold medallist’s world record in the Under-17 400m by 0.07 seconds. Bolt set a time of 47.33 seconds in the event 22 years ago. “After me, it kind of went down because of who I was as a person, and how big my personality was,” Bolt said of his retirement. “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.” Bramwell, who was just 16 when he broke the record in May, will hope to pick up the baton despite missing out on the Paris Olympics. “It’s a wonderful feeling to break the record. Since last summer, I have been eyeing the record,” he said. “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. I’m looking forward to better things.” “It was Usain Bolt,” he quickly responded when asked who he looked up to as a kid. “I looked at him as an idol and I decided I wanted to be like him, and that’s why I started track and field. “I started in primary school. I wasn’t the fastest at the time, so it’s really just hard work for me.” Bolt is looking for somebody to fill the void he leftGQ The Jamaican still has plenty of records that have stood the test of timeGetty 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. 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. “It’s a great feeling, you know, to represent your country and to win for your country,” he told the Gleaner. “My family is always there. They’re always at my track meets since the season has started. “I can’t really answer that now about medals, but the season has been good. “No, I don’t feel any pressure at all for this Championship really. It’s just a great feeling to represent Calabar.” 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. He is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all-time and the 400m distance was never his true speciality beyond youth level. The 38-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 dominated sprinting before retiring in 2017Getty Bolt saw another of his records beaten this year. Gout Gout – a 16-year-old Australian sprint prodigy – announced himself at the U20 World Championships in Peru in September. He ran the 200 in 20.60 seconds—edging out Bolt’s 2002 record by 0.01 seconds. “When I started out, I didn’t understand the concept of ‘being great’ because I was young,” Bolt said. “I was 15 when I won the world juniors, I was really young and I was really talented so I didn’t have to work as hard as it was just talent, as I was winning and winning. “I remember when I got to the professional level, and I felt like it was just going to be easy. “And I got to the stage where I would go to meets and I would lose. And I was like, ‘This is strange, this is new’. So it took me a while to understand.” If the two teens can achieve anything like what Bolt managed, the world of athletics could be in for a treat.
Usain Bolt thinks he left a void in male Jamaican sprinting after retiring.
But somebody capable of stepping into his shoes may have emerged earlier this year.
Schoolboy Nickecoy Bramwell shattered the eight-time Olympic gold medallist’s world record in the Under-17 400m by 0.07 seconds.
Bolt set a time of 47.33 seconds in the event 22 years ago.
“After me, it kind of went down because of who I was as a person, and how big my personality was,” Bolt said of his retirement.
“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.”
Bramwell, who was just 16 when he broke the record in May, will hope to pick up the baton despite missing out on the Paris Olympics.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to break the record. Since last summer, I have been eyeing the record,” he said.
“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. I’m looking forward to better things.”
“It was Usain Bolt,” he quickly responded when asked who he looked up to as a kid.
“I looked at him as an idol and I decided I wanted to be like him, and that’s why I started track and field.
“I started in primary school. I wasn’t the fastest at the time, so it’s really just hard work for me.”
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.
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.
“It’s a great feeling, you know, to represent your country and to win for your country,” he told the Gleaner.
“My family is always there. They’re always at my track meets since the season has started.
“I can’t really answer that now about medals, but the season has been good.
“No, I don’t feel any pressure at all for this Championship really. It’s just a great feeling to represent Calabar.”
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.
He is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all-time and the 400m distance was never his true speciality beyond youth level.
The 38-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 saw another of his records beaten this year.
Gout Gout – a 16-year-old Australian sprint prodigy – announced himself at the U20 World Championships in Peru in September.
He ran the 200 in 20.60 seconds—edging out Bolt’s 2002 record by 0.01 seconds.
“When I started out, I didn’t understand the concept of ‘being great’ because I was young,” Bolt said.
“I was 15 when I won the world juniors, I was really young and I was really talented so I didn’t have to work as hard as it was just talent, as I was winning and winning.
“I remember when I got to the professional level, and I felt like it was just going to be easy.
“And I got to the stage where I would go to meets and I would lose. And I was like, ‘This is strange, this is new’. So it took me a while to understand.”
If the two teens can achieve anything like what Bolt managed, the world of athletics could be in for a treat.
