 Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial 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 . Pablo McNeil , a former Olympic sprint athlete , and Dwayne Jarrett coached Bolt , encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities . The school had a history of success in athletics with past students , including sprinter Michael Green . Bolt 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 . McNeil soon became his primary coach , and the two enjoyed a positive partnership , although McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt 's lack of dedication to his training and his penchant for practical jokes . 
