Usain Bolt just gave himself the ultimate birthday gift. And no, it was not another world record.
The 8th time Olympic gold medalist proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, during his 40th birthday celebration in Kingston, Jamaica. Apparently, turning 40 was not dramatic enough without adding a giant diamond ring to the party.
Bolt celebrated his milestone birthday on Aug. 21 at One Belmont in Kingston. The legendary sprinter then got down on one knee and asked Bennett to marry him.
Photos from the proposal obtained by the Jamaica Observer and shared on Instagram show Bolt with a beige checkered suit getting down on one knee with a microphone in front of Bennett, who wore a gold bodycon dress with silver sequin detailing.
Another photo shared by the outlet shows an emotional Bennett hugging her fiancé as he smiled while wrapping his arms around her after the proposal. According to the Jamaica Observer, Bolt popped the question in front of the pair’s family and friends at the event.
A separate Instagram photo from the Jamaica Observer displayed Bennett showing off her 5-carat engagement ring, which appeared to feature a pear-shaped diamond cushioned in between several diamonds that wrapped around a band.
The athlete and model began dating in 2013. They kept the relationship private for several years before going public at the Rio Olympics in 2016. They went Instagram official in September of that year, with Bennett sharing a photo of the pair on vacation in Bora Bora.
Their relationship was spotlighted when it was reported she gave Bolt a hall pass to sleep with 14 women in 21 days at the 2016 Olympics and forgave him for other infidelities.
The diamond was impossible to ignore. It was big, shiny and basically doing its own announcing. Subtle was clearly not on the menu.
Bolt has spent years collecting medals, records and championships. Now he can add another achievement to the list. Husband.
Not bad for a 40th birthday.
And if the proposal is any indication, the wedding will probably be just as spectacular, because when Usain Bolt celebrates, apparently even the ring needs to break records.
Flip to the next page for the proposal photos…
