Meet the 16-year-old who broke Usain Bolt’s longstanding record after overcoming multiple injuries

Nickecoy Bramwell of Jamaica has beaten Usain Bolt’s 22-year-old Under-17s 400m world record from 2002. Though he was recovering from multiple injuries, including a persistent hamstring problem, the most recent record holder, a 16-year-old boy, accomplished this feat at the Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada.

He finished his race in an astounding 47.26 seconds, shaving off a few seconds from Bolt’s history-making 47.33 seconds. Bramwell expressed, “It’s a wonderful feeling to break the record. Since last summer, I have been eyeing the record.”

“It’s a great feeling I could come out here and get it. I just took my mind off it and focused on the record,” he said, according to the Mirror.

Meanwhile, Sportskeeda reported that the Calabar High School student’s personal best in the 400-meter sprint is a tremendous 46.75 which he set on January 20 while competing at his school, even before his most recent victory. In addition, he set a new personal best in the 100 meters that same day, finishing with an exceptional time of 10.94.

The young prodigy then broke his 200-meter record, clocking a time of 21.45 at the National Stadium in Kingston, less than a month later. His effort was sufficiently impressive to earn him a gold medal in the Class 2 Finals of the Corporate Area Development Meet, where he was competing.

Notably, Bramwell’s competitive abilities earned him numerous medals in 2024, including first place in the 200-meter Finals 2 of the OnDiRun / JC Sprint Fest 200 and gold in the 100- and 400-meter finals of the Class 2 McKenley/Wint Invitational Meet.

The 16-year-old also took home gold in the 400 meters in the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships and the Youngster Goldsmith National Athletic Classic.

Bolt, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, continues to retain the world record for the fastest 100-meter sprint, set in 2009 with a speed of 9.58 seconds.

He was widely recognized as the best sprinter of all time before retiring in 2017.