Usain Bolt pays emotional tribute to close pal and Team GB star Germaine Mason after he died in horror motorbike crash
USAIN BOLT has paid tribute to Team GB star Germaine Mason who died in a motorbike accident after partying with the Olympic legend in his Jamaica home.
Bolt – who had been pals with the Jamaica-born high jumper since 2002 – is yet to speak publicly about the incident but posted a photo on his Instagram of the 2008 Olympic silver medallist.
Mason was a surprise medallist for Britain in Beijing after being dumped from lottery funding months earlier because his performances had not been good enough.
He leaped a personal best of 2.34m but a knee injury then wrecked his career ahead of the 2009 world championships where Bolt broke his own 100m and 200m world records.
Athletes have been paying tribute to Germaine MasonGetty ImagesThe bike Germaine Mason was riding after the crash that killed himJamaica Gleaner
And Fuzz Caan, the senior high jump coach at British Athletics who worked closely with Mason at the time of his Olympic success, said: "Germaine was an outstanding athlete and a truly lovely man.
“He had a wry sense of humour and was a pleasure to be around. He was a great ambassador of British high jumping.
“It is an honour for us to have him as part of our sporting history.”
Mason, who won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, has been killed in a motorbike crashGetty Images
most read in sport
OUT OF THIS WORLD
David Luiz splashes out £1.1m on luxury bracelets for Chelsea team-mates to celebrate winning title… and gift for Abramovic is made from FIVE BILLION-year-old meteorite
DONE DEAL
Man United boss Jose Mourinho makes Espanyol's Arnau Puigmal his first summer signing
Emirates civil war
Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov makes staggering £1BILLION bid to buy Stan Kroenke's majority stake in Arsenal
Make it happen
Anthony Joshua to fight Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury in that order, says Eddie Hearn
german off-icieny
Bibiana Steinhaus will become Bundesliga's first female referee — and she's Howard Webb's girlfriend
AN OFFER HE CAN'T REFUSE
Legendary WWE icon CM Punk offered staggering $1m to make a one-off return to the ring
'Gary has good prospects'
Antonio Conte confirms Gary Cahill is in line to replace John Terry as Chelsea captain
Valentina's Day
Juventus boss Max Allegri's stunning daughter Valentina sends social media into frenzy with sexy bikini selfies
'NOT A COACH'
Arsene Wenger can't coach his way out of a paper bag and Arsenal blocked my return FOUR times, says Tony Adams
KYL-ER BLOW
Liverpool have £64m bid for Monaco star Kylian Mbappe turned down, according to bizarre rumour
FRANCKS FOR EVERYTHING!
Bayern Munich to let Franck Ribery return to Marseille this summer after decade of service
London calling
When is Bellator 179 - Paul Daley vs Rory MacDonald? Plus full match card, TV info and how to get tickets
Yoko oh yes
Chelsea to ramp up bid to land Tiemoue Bakayoko for £43m and could throw in Michy Batshuayi to seal deal
WAYNING POWERS
Jose Mourinho reveals Wayne Rooney faces 'very difficult' situation as he comes to 'last part of career'
JOSE'S JUNIORS
Jose Mourinho set to name TEN Man Utd kids in his squad for final Prem game of season against Palace
Spain pain
Marcos Alonso snubbed by Spain as Arsenal's Nacho Monreal gets nod... but Bellerin drops to under-21s
Ajax to grind
Jose Mourinho says Ajax should not be in Europa League because they played Champions League
return of the mac
Former Chelsea manager and player Eddie McCreadie ends 40-year exile with emotional return to Stamford Bridge
ALL WHITE FOR SOME
Manchester United train ahead of their final Premier League match... but has Paul Pogba forgotten his boots?
SWEAT IT OUT
Gervonta Davis takes THREE goes to make the weight ahead of his Copper Box clash against Liam Walsh
Mason loved riding motorbikes wherever he was in the worldInstagram @germainemasonGermaine Mason in action on the way to a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in BeijingPA:Press AssociationGermaine Mason, second right, was out riding in a convoy of motorbikes with friends including Usain BoltINSTAGRAM
Mason won a junior world bronze for Jamaica in Kingston in 2002 when he first made friends with a 15 year-old beanpole called Usain Bolt.
He later switched allegiance to Britain and held a UK passport all his life due to his London-born father David.
When Mason clinched silver in Beijing, Bolt who set two world records in the Bird's Nest Stadium said: “We've been friends since 2002 and I'm very happy for him.
“To me, it doesn't really matter who he runs for. We've been friends since way back."
Leave a comment