Grange: Bolt statue ready, dedication date to be announced

WESTERN BUREAU:

Sport Minister Olivia Grange says the official dedication of the statue honouring Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt in Falmouth will take place once a new date is finalised.

Speaking with reporters in Montego Bay over the weekend, Grange explained that the initially planned ceremony was delayed because of recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa, although the statue has been mounted and surrounding installation works were completed.

“What we’re going to have is an official dedication of the statue, but because of the hurricane and just the recovery process, we didn’t want to rush things,” she said.

The minister noted that the Government had originally hoped to stage the unveiling during the 2025 Christmas season.

“We had set a date. We were going to do it for Christmas with the tree lighting and then the official dedication. But again, so much was happening, and just the recovery process, we didn’t want to rush it, but we are going to be doing it shortly. ... Now,, we have to select an appropriate date,” Grange said.

She added that the installation at the site is complete and ready.

“Everything is in place. The lights – they haven’t turned on the lights yet – but the fountain, it’s all lit and everything. So when we turn the water on, it’s going to be lit at night. It’s complete. It’s ready,” she stated.

Grange said discussions are expected with Collen Gager, the mayor of Falmouth, to settle on a new date for the ceremony.

“We have a new timeline that we want to talk about this week with the mayor,” she added.

Bolt, who was raised in the nearby community of Sherwood Content, is widely regarded as the greatest sprinter in history. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist dominated global track and field for more than a decade, setting world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4x100 metre relay at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships.

Often called the fastest man ever, Bolt won eight Olympic and 11 World Championship gold medals during his decorated career and remains one of Jamaica’s most celebrated sporting icons.

The statue in Falmouth forms part of efforts to honour Bolt’s contribution to global athletics and recognise his roots in the parish of Trelawny.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com