Jamaica will grant diplomatic privileges to world champion sprinter Usain Bolt and name a highway after him, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said this week.

Golding said Bolt's extraordinary performance for Jamaica had earned him the right to be called "ambassador" with full diplomatic privileges, including a diplomatic passport.

Highway 2000, linking several of the Caribbean island's key cities, will be renamed the Usain Bolt Highway and the runner will be given Jamaica's fourth highest national award, Golding announced in Parliament.

"I have advised the governor general to confer on Mr Bolt the Order of Jamaica for his outstanding achievements for Jamaica at the highest level of athletic competition," Golding said.

Bolt, who smashed world records in the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds and the 200 metres in 19.19 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, last month, returned to Jamaica on Monday after a gruelling international season.

At 23, he will be the youngest recipient of the Order of Jamaica.

Bolt was involved in a car accident last April on the highway that will carry his name. He suffered minor injuries and his BMW was a write-off.

No date for the name change was given.

Cricket hope

Meanwhile, it emerged that the world's fastest man might have been the world's fastest bowler had things worked out differently for Bolt.

"When I was growing up it was all about cricket," Bolt told reporters.

"I was so much into cricket and I thought that I would end up in cricket. I did not take track and field seriously until I was 16."

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