Usain Bolt said a tearful goodbye to his friend Germaine Mason as he mourned at the British Olympian's funeral in Jamaica on Sunday. Usain, 30, wept behind his sunglasses as he attended the ceremony at Hagley Park Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kingston. He had acted as a pallbearer for his friend's coffin, and last week had also helped to dig 34-year-old Germaine's grave. Usain and Germaine, who was born in Jamaica, had been friends since 2002. Germaine was tragically killed in Kingston last month, when he lost control of his motorcycle, and Usain was one of the very first on the scene.
© Photo: SplashUsain Bolt was in tears as he attended the funeral of his late friend Germaine Mason
Olympic high jump medallist Germaine, whose father is from London, won a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Games, having switched allegiance from Jamaica in 2006. He was seen celebrating at the trackside with Usain, who said at the time: "We've been friends since 2002 and I'm very happy for him. He had knee surgery and he's coming back now, so I'm happy for him. To me, it doesn't really matter who he runs for."
© Photo: SplashA large crowd gathered inside the church in Kingston to say goodbye to the Olympian
Following Germaine's tragic death in April, British athletes took to Twitter to share their sorrow. "This is just awful. Such sad news," wrote Jessica Ennis-Hill, while Louis Smith said: "So sad to hear of the passing of my pal @GermaineMason." Linford Christie added: "Heart goes out to friends and family of Germaine Mason on this sad day. RIP Germaine. Never forgotten."
British Athletics senior high jump coach Fuzz Caan, who worked closely with Germaine during the time of his Olympic success, said: "Germaine was an outstanding athlete and a truly lovely man. He had a wry sense of humour and was a pleasure to be around. He was a great ambassador of British high jumping. It is an honour for us to have him as part of our sporting history."
