11th February 2015 – Usain’s first Diamond League race announcement took place today with the organisers of the Meeting Areva in Paris confirming the world’s fastest man for the 100m there. Full release from www.diamondleague.com –
With a little less than five months to go, the MEETING AREVA 2015 can already tick off one name on the list of stars. And not just any name: Usain Bolt.
The Jamaican has given his consent to the French Athletics Federation, organiser of the 8thstage of the Diamond League IAAF. He’ll take his place on the Stade de France track on Saturday 4 July 2015, where he’ll be running the 100m, one of the main events of the evening.
The presence of Usain Bolt at the MEETING AREVA 2015 is quite a coup on a number of levels. World 100m Record holder (9’’58 in 2009), double Olympic champion (2008 and 2012) and holder of 8 world medals, two of which were gold over the same distance (2009 and 2013), the sprinter seldom performs in one-day competitions. This rarity naturally gives each of his appearances a rather special character. The Jamaican never disappoints. He holds the Meeting record with a time of 9’’79, set in 2009.
Last year, a foot injury forced Usain Bolt to withdraw from the Meeting in which he’d originally opted to run in the 100m. Away from the tracks for some time, the Jamaican later went on to put in a few performances elsewhere, but his season was largely cut short by his physical issues. As such, in the Stade de France, on Saturday 4 July 2015, the 100m will be a rare opportunity to see him back at the peak of fitness, just weeks before his participation in the World Championships in Beijing.
Finally, to date, the MEETING AREVA 2015 is the first and only one-day competition in which Usain Bolt has made his presence official. Indeed his summer programme is still shrouded in a degree of mystery. With one exception: the 100m at the MEETING AREVA. Further proof then of the Jamaican’s fondness for this French meeting, its organisers, its atmosphere and its audience. On Saturday 4 July 2015, he’ll be competing at the Meeting for the fifth time in his career. He has never suffered a defeat here. He has always shown himself to be at the top of his game at this venue, even when the weather conditions were at their most hostile.
With the talents of French athletics more concentrated and high performance than ever, the MEETING AREVA 2015 was already shaping up to be a high point of the summer season. Bolstered by the presence of Usain Bolt, today it is in a position to guarantee an unforgettable evening.
Usain Bolt at the MEETING AREVA:
2013: winner of the 200m in 19’’73
2011: winner of the 200m in 20’’03
2010: winner of the 100m in 9’’84
2009: winner of the 100m in 9’’79
