Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:

Wellesley Bolt, the father of the 100-metre world-record holder and 2008 Olympic gold medallist, Usain Bolt, sounded a nervously happy man yesterday evening when he confirmed that he is leaving for China today.

The senior Bolt was surprised yesterday when telecommunications giant Digicel called him and informed him that they would be flying him to Beijing, China, to join his son at the Olympics but, more important, to celebrate the Olympian's 22nd birthday on Thursday.

The senior Bolt had told The Gleaner last Wednesday that he had made a personal decision not to accompany his son to China. "I don't like long flights. I am scared of them," he said.

However, he said at the time that he was considering flying to Germany for the 2009 World Championships.

They insisted

"Bwoy, they literally put a rope around my neck and say, 'Mr Bolt, you have to go to China'," he said yesterday. I told them no, I didn't want to take that long flight, but they insisted that I have to be there to celebrate my son's birthday with him."

As he sat in a barber's chair to get a new look ahead of his flight, he said: "I just have to cushion my mind and take the flight.

"I was trying to get around them, but I just could not beat them to it."

"Do I have to go?" he recalled asking a Digicel representative.

"Sure you have to," the representative responded.

Usain's mother, Jennifer Bolt, is already at the Olympics and, judging from the televised coverage, it is obvious she is having a whale of a time.

Up to press time last evening, Wellesley Bolt said he had no idea what airline he was leaving on, nor had he any details as to where his first port of disembarkment would be.

"They (Digicel) are handling everything," he said.

noel.thompson@gleanerjm.com