Usain Bolt Now The Highest Paid Sprinter In History

Earning approximately U$20.3 million as at June 2012, Jamaica's Usain Bolt's astonishing repeat success at London Olympics, coupled with his U$9 million per-year deal with Puma, has catapulted him onto Forbes Magazine's 2012 prestigious 30 under-30 sports list.

Each year, the magazine chooses 30 personalities all aged under 30, from 12 different fields, who it describes as "young disruptors, innovators and entrepreneurs impatient to change the world".

Bolt became the first athlete in history to repeat as double sprint champion at an Olympics when he won the 100 and 200 metres during the Summer Games.

His Puma deal, coupled with a plethora of other endorsement with Nissan, Visa and Gatorade also makes him the highest paid track and field athlete in history. He has also been labelled the world's most marketing athlete by noted sports website SportsPromedia.com Bolt is joined on the list by NBA stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant along with American gymnast Gabrielle Douglas who also won gold at the Summer Olympics.

The 26-year-old Bolt shot to prominence in 2008 when he dominated the Beijing Olympics by winning gold in the 100 and 200m, along with the men's sprint relay. Forbes says the 30 under-30 list represents the "brightest stars under the age of 30 that characterise the entrepreneurial, creative and intellectual best of their generation".