THE UNVEILING OF USAIN BOLT’S STATUE AT JAMAICA’S NATIONAL STADIUM, TAKES PLACE THIS SUNDAY!

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Olivia Grange, has said that “rain or shine, we will be unveiling the Usain Bolt statue” on Sunday, December 3.

The Minister made the declaration on Wednesday after visiting the site on Statue Road in Independence Park where the sculpture will be mounted. “We’re all set to unveil Usain Bolt’s statue,” said Grange.

The Minister went to the Independence Park complex (which houses the National Stadium) to observe work on the pedestal on which the bronze statue — to the scale of one and quarter life size — will be mounted. Grange said: “The base is now ready for mounting of the statue. The statue will be mounted and will be in place for Sunday, December 3.”

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, looks at the pedestal on which the statue of Usain Bolt will be mounted on Statue Road in Independence Park.

The statue — a lasting tribute to the world’s greatest sprinter — was due to be unveiled during Heritage Week in October, but the unveiling ceremony was postponed because of rain. Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, will unveil the statue in a special ceremony scheduled to begin at 5:30 on Sunday afternoon.

The ceremony will be attended by several notable figures in local and international sports including Victor Lopez, the President of the North American Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association. The IAAF President, Lord Coe, will also participate in the ceremony.

“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.

Usain

The sculpture was designed by renowned Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson. It 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. The Minister invited the public to attend the unveiling ceremony.

Immediately following the unveiling of the statue, there will be a special Reception of Appreciation for Jamaican athletes (a private event). Minister Grange said the Reception was for members of the Jamaican team that participated at the IAAF World Championship in London earlier this year as well as for “our Olympians in general – just to say thank you for how they’ve represented Jamaica over the years and for being good ambassadors.”