Usain Bolt’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ celebration doesn’t mean what you think it does

USAIN Bolt’s famous ‘Lightning Bolt’ signature pose has flashed across countless screens in the last 24 hours — but its origins will surprise you.

Usain Bolt unleashes his famous celebration after winning the Men's 100m Final in Rio de Janeiro.

THE world’s fastest man and Jamaica’s most well-known son, Usain Bolt, debuted his signature pose at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Numerous 100-metre and 200-metre first-place finishes later, the “bolting” pose remains the central act of the sprinter’s identity and celebrations. But the pose isn’t exactly a lightning bolt as his name and speed suggest.

Via SI.com’s Tim Layden:

It was in Beijing that Bolt unveiled his signature To Di World pose, copied from a Jamaican tourism advertisement and often mislabeled as a lightning bolt. The performance and the celebration sent Bolt’s profile skyward.

Here’s a Jamaica Tourist Board “To Di World” ad (meaning “to the world”) from circa 2010 that includes Bolt:

This article originally appeared on Fox Sports US

Originally published as Usain Bolt’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ celebration doesn’t mean what you think it does