Best known as: The Jamaican sprinter who won 100- and 200-meter gold medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Usain Bolt became famous as the world's fastest man in 2008, the year he ran the 100 meters in a spectacular 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympic Games. Born in Jamaica, Usain Bolt was a speedster from the start: he was only 15 when he won a gold medal in the 200 meters at the 2002 World Junior Championships.