Adrian Frater, News Editor

12-year-old Shawn Salmon, who now holds the title Usain Bolt once held at Waldensia All-age School, the school's fastest boy over 100 metres.

Western Bureau:

The quaint, rural district of Sherwood Content, near Falmouth, in Trelawny, which, 21 years ago, gave birth to to the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, is now consumed with lofty expectations as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, move closer.

The entire community shares one common sentiment, an expectation that Bolt, who came to prominence as a 12-year-old at the community's Waldensia All-age School, will win individual gold medals in the 100 and 200 metre events when the action starts in Beijing next week.

"He is going to win both the 100 and 200m because he is the best," said 12-year-old Shawn Salmon, who now holds the title Bolt once held at Waldensia All-age, the school's fastest boy over 100m.

Olympic Games

"He is my idol and I want to be just like him when I grow up," continued Salmon, when The Gleaner visited Sherwood Content last week. "I believe if I train hard and develop a positive attitude, one day I will also be able to run at the Olympic Games.

Except for Bolt's former primary school teacher, Darland Eaton, who is still undecided, Sherwood Content residents, who spoke with The Gleaner, seemed ready to bypass work for their television sets on the days of the 100m and 200m finals, once Bolt is in the line-up.

Finish line

"I don't know if I will be taking the day-off but, one thing I can promise you is that wherever I am, I will have to find a television to see the race," said Eaton, who helped prepare Bolt for the Grade Six Achievement Test, which earned him a place at William Knibb High School years ago.

Fourteen-year-old Danielle Jenkins, a family friend of the Bolts, can hardly wait for the Olympics to start.

"I am sure I will be jumping up and down and screaming when he crosses the finish line," she said.

Like Jenkins, Bolt's father Wellesley Bolt, is already making plans to facilitate the celebrations that he hopes will rock Sherwood Content once his son delivers the gold medals in the 100 and 200m.