Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 100m with a world record of 9.58 seconds (© Getty Images)
Sprint sensation Usain Bolt will compete in the 100 metres at the adidas Grand Prix in New York City on 12 June, organisers announced today (2). The adidas Grand Prix, formerly known as the Reebok Grand Prix, will be the fifth stop on the inaugural IAAF Diamond League circuit and will be held at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island.
Usain Bolt, the reigning triple-Olympic champion (100m, 200m and 4x100m) and triple-World champion, is one of the most popular and sought after sports personalities in the world. A showman both on and off the track, Bolt shocked the world in Beijing in 2008, not just by winning the 100m gold medal but by doing so in a never-before-seen dominating and entertaining World record effort. He followed up this victory just days later with another historic World record at 200m (19.30) and again in the 4x100m Relay (37.10).
In 2009, Bolt outperformed the world as well as his own seemingly untouchable world marks with two more records (9.58 for 100m and 19.19 for 200m) at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin. Topping the world’s lists at 100m and 200m in 2008 and 2009, Bolt was also named World Athlete of the Year in both years.
The adidas Grand Prix will be Bolt’s first competition in the United States since he set his first World record at this event in 2008. “New York was the site of my first world record, the track is lightning fast and the fans, well, they sat through an entire thunderstorm in 2008 just to watch the 100m so I know they appreciate speed,” said Bolt. “I am looking forward to returning to the Big Apple in June.”
Click here link to read the full release on New York’s IAAF Diamond League website
2010 IAAF Diamond League Calendar
Doha (QAT) – Fri 14 May
Shanghai (CHN) – Sun 23 May
Oslo (NOR) – Fri 4 June
Rome (ITA) – Thu 10 June
New York (USA) – Sat 12 June
Eugene (USA) – Sat 3 July
Lausanne (SUI) – Thu 8 July
Gateshead (GBR) – Sat 10 July
Paris (FRA) – Fri 16 July
Monaco (MON) – Thu 22 July
Stockholm (SWE) – Fri 6 Aug
London (GBR) – Fri 13 and Sat 14 Aug
Zürich (SUI) – Thu 19 Aug
Brussels (BEL) – Fri 27 Aug