ZURICH (Sporting Alert) — Triple World Championships gold medallist Usain Bolt returns to the track on Thursday at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
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Bolt, who won three gold medals at this months world championships in Moscow, Russia, will race in the men’s 100-metres where he will go up against American Justin Gatlin, the man who finished second to him at the worlds.
Another Jamaican and worlds bronze medallist in the distant, Nesta Carter is also entered in the event, along with countrymen Kemar Cole-Bailey and Nickel Ashmeade.
Great Britain’s Adam Gemili and USA’s Walter Dix are also in the starting list.
Bolt’s fellow countrywoman Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, another triple gold medal winner in Moscow, will race in the women’s 200m dash where she is expected to face Murielle Ahoure, who finished second to the Jamaican in the 100m and 200m earlier this month.
The men’s 400m will see American world champion LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James of Grenada.
This battle was billed to be a very close one in Moscow, but James shockingly faded in the home straight, which left Merritt to win the title unchallenged.
Elsewhere, on Thursday, a very exciting women’s 5000m field has been assembled with Ethiopian champion runners Tirunesh Dibaba going up against Meseret Defar, Kenya’s Mercy Cherono and USA’s Jenny Simpson.
Americans Nick Symmonds and Duane Solomon are expected to battle in out in the men’s 800m, while the women’s race should see Eunice Jepkoech Sum of Kenya and Americans Alysia Montano and Ajee Wilson in action.
In results on Wednesday, New Zealand world and Olympic champion Valerie Adams produced her best effort of the season, following a 20.98m to win the women’s Shot Put. She was the only one over the 20m barrier.
On the men’s side, American Ryan Whiting took the title with an effort of 22.03m, beating world champion David Storl of Germany, who did 21.19m.
