 The 2002 World Junior Championships before a home crowd in Kingston , Jamaica , gave Bolt a chance to prove his credentials on the world stage . By the age of 15 , he had grown to 1 @.@ 96 metres ( 6 ft 5 in ) tall , and he physically stood out among his peers . He won the 200 m , in a time of 20 @.@ 61 s , 0 @.@ 03 seconds slower than his personal best of 20 @.@ 58 s set in the 1st round . Bolt 's 200 m win made him the youngest world @-@ junior gold medalist ever . The expectation from the home crowd had made him so nervous that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet . However , it turned out to be a revelatory experience for Bolt as he vowed never again to let himself be affected by pre @-@ race nerves . As a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team , he also took two silver medals and set national junior records in the 4 × 100 metres and 4 × 400 metres relay , running times of 39 @.@ 15 s and 3 : 04 @.@ 06 minutes respectively . 
