A pair of beautifully handcrafted spikes by Puma that was specially created for world sprint prodigy Usain Bolt and used in his training preparation for the 2013 World Championship Games in Moscow, Russia will go on sale at an auction in New York City on Friday, June 6. The auction will be a highlight of Rum & Rhythms, a signature event hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization during the annual Caribbean Week celebration in New York, and the premium event will take place at the posh Tribeca 360 in Lower Manhattan starting at 6:30 p.m.
With a bounce from these specially made preparation spikes, Usain Bolt won gold for both the 100m and the 200m taces at this meet as well as winning the 4 x 100m relay for Jamaica. He also took home the title of being the most successful athlete ever in the history of the World Championships.
The spikes are autographed by Usain with one of his two aliases ‘UGO’ written on them. This special creation is not available in stores, and the blue marks on the front and sides of the spikes is the dye from the training track in his starting block at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. The teeth and laces were personally inserted by Bolt and they have been worn by only him.
“Usain Bolt is a rare global legend from the Caribbean who continues to make history and to make us proud, and we are thrilled to have his training spikes from the 2013 World Championship Games as a part of the CTO’s Caribbean Week auction,” Sylma Brown Bramble, director, Caribbean Tourism Organization USA, Inc. said.
The starting bid is set for US$18,000 and the auction is a collaboration among the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Dave Rodney, marketing executive at Images Media and the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (Kingston Chapter). The spikes were handed over last year to Norma Brown Bell, former president of the Lay Magistrates Association, and proceeds from the sale will be used for the benefit of charities in Jamaica.
