Usain Bolt.

ZURICH, Switzerland, CMC – World 100 metres record holder, Jamaican Usain Bolt has been added to the list of contestants for the Zurich IAAF Golden League meeting, organisers announced on Monday.

 

Also confirmed to race in the almost sold out Letzigrund Stadium is Cuban new 110 metres hurdles record holder Dayron Robles.

 

Both Bolt and Robles are considered strong favourites to gold medals at this summer’s Beijing Olympic Games in China and the organisers are delighted to have their early confirmations for the August 29 event.

 

“Usain and Dayron are both much courted,” meeting Director Patrick Magyar said in a release.

 

“Their early decision to compete in Zurich is also a compliment to our entire team, who always does its utmost to create ideal conditions in every respect.”

 

Bolt, the new Jamaican sprint double champion following his achievements at his country’s national trials at the weekend, will compete in the men’s 100 metre dash, the event he holds the world record of 9.72 seconds.

 

The 21-year-old will face Bahamian Derrick Atkins, the World Championships 100 metres silver medallist in Osaka, Japan last August and Norway’s new sprint star Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who has ran a personal and seasonal best of 10.01 seconds.

 

At the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston at the weekend, Bolt won his first national sprint double when he clocked 9.85 seconds to beat Asafa Powell in the 100 metres prior to running a relaxed 19.97 seconds to take the 200 metres.

 

Robles, meanwhile, will also be one of the stars on show. He lowered Liu Xiang’s previous record of 12.88 seconds when he clocked 12.87 to win the event at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting earlier this month.

 

Among the other top name athletes already confirmed for the meeting are Jamaica-born American sprinter Sanya Richards, who will run in the women’s 200 metres and 400 metres; American World and Olympic 400 metres champion Jeremy Wariner and his countryman Lashawn Merritt, in addition to Russian pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva.

 

Maria Mutola of Mozambique and Panamanian long jump star Irving Saladino are also on the schedule.

 

CMC gs/kp/08