USAIN Bolt's father has died at 68 after a long battle with illness. Wellesley Bolt, who oversaw the eight-time Olympic gold medallist's rise to glory, passed away on Monday in Jamaica, local media confirmed. Tributes have poured in for the committed father, who has been called the "quiet force" behind the fasted man on Earth. Usain had a close bond with Wellesley, who played a major role in nurturing the sprinter's talent. Wellesley was a well-respected figure in the tight-knit community of Sherwood Content in Trelawny, on Jamaica's northern coast. He ran a small grocery shop and, alongside his wife Jennifer Bolt, was pivotal in the early success of his world-famous son. It was in that quiet rural district that Usain Bolt's legendary sprinting journey began. He later moved on to attend Williams Knibb High School, where his talent was further tended. Wellesley and Jennifer stuck by their son's side as he shot up through the world rankings and into global stardom. The dad was often spotted cheering from the sidelines at major championships. However, he was not in the stands to see Usain win gold in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a world-record time. He said at the time: “It was a tense moment for me, so I wasn’t there for the 100," adding that he was not fond of flying. As Usain's fame ballooned, however, Wellesley maintained a low profile - never embracing the limelight. He leaves behind his children Usain, Sadiki and Christine Bolt-Hylton. Usain previously told an anecdote about his father's role in his sprinting career. He told Caribbean National Weekly: “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.” Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, gave the Bolt family his sympathies on social media. He wrote: “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.” Usain is yet to make a statement on his father's death.