Usain Bolt to contest at the Samsung Diamond League final in Brussels – Athletics news
Usain Bolt, the 24-year-old Jamaican, who happens to be the fastest man of the world, confirmed his participation in the 200m contest at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme. The meet is the final of this season’s Samsung Diamond League, which is scheduled to
commence on September 16.
This indeed was splendid news for both Bolt’s fans and the organisers of the event, as previously, the sprinter had planned to end his season after defending his 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles in Daegu, at the end of this month.
The point of concern for the Jamaican athlete over here is that whether he will have enough time to recover from a hectic schedule before the Samsung Diamond League (SDL) final. Merely a week after ending his tour to Daegu on September 4, he is scheduled
to compete in the 100m contest at Zagreb’s IAAF World Challenge (on September 13), while on September 16, he will appear in Brussels for the SDL final.
With already having scored 12 points apiece, the three-time world and Olympic champion is tied with America’s Walter Dix for leading the 200m contest in the Diamond Race standings. The Jamaican is also set to line-up against the 25-year-old American sprinter
in the 100m and 200m challenges at the World Championships in South Korea.
Another strong contender for the SDL title in Brussels will be young French sprinter, Christophe Lemaitre, the 21-year-old runner who is presently the European champion over 100m and 200m distances. The French 100m national record holder claimed both the
titles recently while setting his Personal Bests of 9.92 seconds and 20.08 seconds for the respective distances in Albi.
Regardless of an over-awing field being put together to observe the SDL final in Brussels, Bolt, the meet record holder (19.57 seconds in 2009), will definitely be the performer both spectators and organisers will like to see running.
Speaking on the commendable performance the Jamaican displayed in 2009, Wilfried Meert, the director of the Meet said, “He ran it in very chilly conditions, it was hardly 13°. There is always a potential to run fast in Brussels, with a fully packed stadium
and an extraordinary atmosphere.”
The event at the King Baudouin stadium is expected to be an electrifying event, as it has already observed 10 under 20 seconds’ performances over the distance.
Tags: