Why yes, Usain Bolt’s baby daughter’s name and photos were shared on social media for the first time and it caused the whole internet to break. OK, maybe not literally. But social media users were definitely stopped in their tracks once they laid their eyes on the absolute cherub that is Bolt’s baby. Mind you: that was before they even realized how perfect her name was.
The 33-year-old Olympian’s announcement came on Tuesday, July 7, when he announced the birth of his daughter via a birthday post for her mother, 30-year-old Jamaican model Kasi Bennett, on Instagram. “I want to wish my gf @kasi.b a happy birthday,” he wrote in his caption, adding he wanted to “let u know I am happy I get to spend ur special day with u.” In the attached photos, Bennett could be seen holding their baby girl—who also happened to get a few snapshots of her own, decked out in an adorable pink ensemble and headband.
“I want nothing but happiness for u and will continue to doing my best keeping a smile on ur face,” Bolt continued before unveiling their daughter’s name: “Now we have started a new chapter together with our daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt,” he wrote.
That’s right: the eight-time Olympic gold medalist named his daughter in honor of the Olympic games and included a nod to his last name in the process. Somebody come get this man another medal! (I mean, he already has 20 in total—what’s one more?) Though, we can’t say he was the first to come up with the clever name. In 2017, fellow Olympian Serena Williams gave her daughter Alexis the middle name “Olympia,” too. Let’s just hope that the children of the world’s best tennis player and the fastest man alive can join forces at the Olympic games one day way in the future as pals. We’d love to see it!
The legendary sprinter went on to promise to “be the ROCK for this family,” and ended his sweet message on a teasing note. “Love you and happy 21th birthday,” he joked to his longtime partner. Honestly, though, Bennett could seriously have us fooled! The newly-minted mama looked glowy and majestic as ever in her photoshoot, where she wore an off-the-shoulder cream tulle gown.
The model and marketing director went on to share her own photos of newborn Olympia on her own Instagram page. “My gift,” she wrote simply in her caption.
Bennett and Bolt have been together since at least 2014, although the didn’t make their relationship public for another two years. In 2016, Bolt revealed to The Telegraph that he’d had a girlfriend of two years, “But I’m not going to tell you who she is, I want to keep it small for now.”
Shortly thereafter, Bolt went public with the relationship. Fast forward a few more years, and the couple announced they were expecting their first child together by January 2020. “I just want to say a KING or QUEEN is about to be HERE,” Bolt wrote in a caption on Instagram at the time. Bennett echoed the announcement, writing, “Our biggest blessing,” in the caption of a photo featuring her in a gorgeous billowing red dress as she cradled her baby bump. A big blessing and miniature legend in the making, indeed.