The father of sprint legend Usain Bolt has sadly passed away at the age of 68 after a long illness. News of Wellesley Bolt's passing emerged in Jamaica on Monday. Wellesley, who greatly influenced his son's journey to eight Olympic gold medals, was being mourned by many. He ran a grocery store with his wife, Jennifer, and was known for his low-key presence during Usain's rise to global fame reports the Mirror . Jamaica's local media reported Mr Bolt died on Monday. Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, expressed her deep condolences. She said: "I offer my sincerest condolences to Jennifer, Usain, and the rest of the Bolt family. It is going to be a difficult time, but I encourage them to be comforted by the memory of a very good father." Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, also shared his heartfelt sympathy through social media: "I join with every Jamaican in extending my deepest and most sincere condolences to Usain Bolt, his beloved mother Mrs. Jennifer Bolt, and the entire Bolt family, following the passing of their patriarch, Mr. Wellesley Bolt." Although he played a significant role in Usain Bolt's life, Wellesley remained a "quiet force" behind the scenes as his son became an international icon. Usain Bolt has often credited his father for his success on the track, recounting to Caribbean National Weekly how his dad's intervention was pivotal. He said: "The coach started complaining to my father that I wasn't coming to training. "But after a while, my father sat me down and said: 'Running is what you have to do. There's too much politics in cricket'. "He watched the game, he understood how things worked." Despite being a regular figure in the stands, Wellesley Bolt missed his son's 100m Olympic gold victory at the Beijing 2008 Games. Reflecting on that moment, he admitted: "It was a tense moment for me, so I wasn't there for the 100." Wellesley is survived by his wife Jennifer, and three children: Usain, Sadiki, and Christine Bolt-Hylton.