Who was Germaine Mason? Usain Bolt's British best friend that died in a motorcycle accident

Jamaican track legend Usain Bolt has recently revealed how the death of his British best friend Germaine Mason left him in shambles before his last career race at the London 2017 World Championships.

In April 2017, the world's fastest man in history was left devastated by the death of his close friend and fellow athlete Mason, who was killed in a devastating motorcycle accident.

The heartbreaking loss was said to have left Bolt 'inconsolable', as he struggled to find the motivation to train afterwards ahead of his final career appearance at the World Championships in London.

He was a Jamaican-born track and field athlete who competed in the high jump. In 2006, he switched sporting allegiance to represent Great Britain, and won a historic silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Germaine Mason died in a motorbike accident on April 20, 2017, at the age of 34. He had been with Bolt at a Soca party before his untimely death in Kingston, Jamaica, while riding home from the event.

Bolt was one of the first on the scene after the crash, and later carried his close friend's coffin at his funeral, with pictures showing him looking distraught.

The Jamaican track legend brought his iconic career to an end in the British capital - the same stadium where he clinched three Olympic gold medals in 2012.

Bolt competed for the last time in London, but was denied his dream farewell to the sport after sustaining an injury in the 4x100m final.

His emotional bow out to his illustrious career started impressively by claiming bronze in the 100m final in his last-ever individual race. Unfortunately, his final 4x100m relay race ended in disappointment, as he pulled up with a hamstring injury 50m from the finish line, whilst running the anchor leg for Jamaica.

Reminiscing on what happened on the night, Bolt, during a recent interview with The Times, revealed he had come incredibly close to not competing in the capital at all, after tragedy struck months earlier.

“One of my very close friends died [in 2017]," he explained. “Grieving and speaking about it was so important for me. Spending time with all the people that we hung out with helped me to deal with it," he added. 

The 39-year-old further disclosed that his doctor advised him to skip London, stating he wasn't fit enough to compete.

“So I didn’t train as much as I wanted to before my last world championships. That’s why I wasn’t in shape, and why the doctor said: 'Do not go'.

Detailing his conversations with his doctor, Bolt said he felt he had no choice but to compete, with fans and sponsors expecting him to bow out in London.

"My doctor told me: 'Do not go. You’re not in good shape. You’re not ready. If you go and you push yourself, you will get injured'. "I was like: 'I have to go. Everybody is expecting me'. "So it wasn’t a massive surprise [that he tore a hamstring in his final race]."

Despite the heartbreaking end to his career, it didn't stop him from receiving a hero's send-off when he performed his last lap of honour at the London Stadium later on.