Team USA's Trayvon Bromell is officially the fastest man in the world after his 100m win in Tokyo. Coming from a humble background, the 26-year-old was once laughed at when he said he wanted to be an Olympic champion. Not anymore.
Usain Bolt, who raced Bromell at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said he's "one to watch" at this year's games. "I am really keeping my eye on him and what he's going to produce," he added when speaking to Olympics.com. Bolt retired after Rio.
Bromell absolutely smashed the Men's 100m heats in Tokyo on Friday 30th August, setting a world record in the category with a 9.77 second finish time.
Where is Trayvon Bromell from?
The athlete was born on 10th July 1995 and grew up in the poor, crime-stricken neighbourhood of St Petersburg, Florida with his single mother.
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Growing up around violence and seeing some of his close friends go to prison, the 26-year-old said that athletics saved his life.
"I always wanted to help people, but never knew how I could! I'm from the south side of St.Pete Fl. Where life is hard, and no room for dreams," he said on Instagram.
"Where we come from you don't really see too many people get to that level," he told T&F News.
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"Back then, you told people your dreams, they laughed at it. You were lucky to graduate out of high school, even get a good job.
"Most people, they graduated high school, they work as bank tellers or fast food or at Walmart. You know, that was the vision of it all. Many of us that grew up in that environment saw this as a reality."
But despite the uphill battle, Bromell has well and truly made it.
What is Trayvon Bromell's net worth?
Bromell is estimated to be worth between $2-$3 million (£1.5-£2.2 million) in 2021. His story is undoubtedly one of rags to riches, in all senses of the phrase.
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Because Bromell is a Team USA athlete, if he does win a gold medal in Tokyo, he will enjoy a £27,000 payday just from that alone, not to mention the sponsorship and advertising opportunities.
Not all athletes are paid for winning medals at the Olympics and it's down to the individual country and their Olympic committee.
But Bromell said a gold medal isn't everything.
"That gold medal will definitely be a great accomplishment. But the real gold medal is the change that is going to bring," he told The Guardian. Coming from such a hard upbringing, he said: "I just want to give hope. I want kids to see me, and see that they could do it too."
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Bromell is also a keen photographer. His Instagram account @shotsbytb has more than 3,500 followers - he's a man of many talents.
How tall is Trayvon Bromell?
Bromell is reportedly 1.73m (5ft 8") tall.
He returns to the track for the 100m semi-finals on Saturday 31st July at 1:30pm BST.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@iamtrayvonbromellTopics: Tokyo OIympics