The long-awaited unveiling of the Usain Bolt statue is scheduled to take place in Kingston, Jamaica this week – having been postponed due to inclement weather in October.
According to Minister of Sport Olivia Grange, the tribute to the world’s greatest sprinter will be held on Sunday come “rain or shine.” She made the declaration on Wednesday after visiting the site on Statue Road in Independence Park where the sculpture will be mounted.
All set to unveil statue
“We’re all set to unveil Usain Bolt’s statue,” said Grange after she observed work on the pedestal on which the bronze statue will be mounted.
“The base is now ready for mounting of the statue. The statue will be mounted and will be in place for Sunday, December 3,” Grange said.
To be unveiled by Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness will unveil the statue in a special ceremony scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.
The ceremony will be attended by persons involved in local and international sports including Victor Lopez, the President of the North American Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association.
IAAF President, Lord Coe, was invited but will not be able to make the trip.
“We’re getting a specially recorded message from Lord Coe, who was unable to come,” said Grange. “We have an interesting program lined up and Usain Bolt is looking forward to this event,” she continued.
Designed by Basil Watson
The bronze sculpture was designed by renowned Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson.
Bolt, 31, an eight-time Olympic champion, retired from athletics after the London World Championships in August when his 100m farewell ended in a third-placed finish behind Americans Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman.
The statue of Bolt is the first of four statues of national sports stars that were commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport under the Jamaica 55 Legacy Program.
Watson is also working on sculptures of Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Veronica Campbell Brown and Asafa Powell.
