DPA/Berlin
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt is to return from an injury layoff to the scene of his 2012 Olympic triumphs to take part in the London Diamond League event on July 24, British Athletics announced yesterday.
“The opening night of the Anniversary Games (Diamond League) has attracted the strongest field ever assembled for a single night of athletics, providing Londoners with another ‘I was there’ moment,” London mayor Boris Johnson told reporters yesterday.
“The chance to see a living legend like Bolt is very rare and we are delighted to be able to welcome him to the reopening of the stadium where he so thrilled us all at the 2012 Games,” he added.
Bolt has competed in just six races since last year as he has encountered several injury setbacks. He is far away from the form that earned him six Olympic gold medals and eight world titles since 2008.
He withdrew from the recent Paris and Lausanne Diamond League meets with a leg injury but can use London as a springboard for the world championships in Beijing which are held next month.
The worlds are August 22-30 and time is running out on Bolt, whose 2015 times over 100m (10.12 seconds) and 200m (20.12) are far off his world record times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds, and also behind season-leading American Justin Gatlin (9.74, 19.57).
“London is a special place where I love to compete and I am looking forward to the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games on July 24,” Bolt said.
“I have great memories of competing in the Olympic Stadium in the summer of 2012 and in the previous Grand Prix meets in London.
“The British fans are always great and I expect there will also be a lot of Jamaican fans in the stadium. It will be amazing to put on another great show for them under the floodlights on the Friday night.”
