Bolt to Ostrava, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

Usain Bolt in Lausanne, photo by PhotoRun.net

Usain Bolt will draw athletes to any track meet in the world. Add Tyson Gay, and Asafa Powell, and you have world class drawing power. My dream: four to six races a year, with a sponsor who sees the global draw of such amazing races. Our sport is about competition, first, competition second, competition third.

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Bolt returns to Ostrava

PRAGUE (CZE): Fastest man in the world will return to the Ostrava Golden
Spike meeting this year for the fifth time. Usain Bolt will be the top
star of 50th jubilee edition of the top Czech one day meeting, part of
IAAF World Challenge series on May 31. The Jamaican star loves the
Ostrava crowd and the supporters are loving him. Since 2008 when he was
competing as global winner and world record holder the stadium was
because of him always sold out now for three years in a row. “I am
always happy to come back to Ostrava. The organisers are always very
welcoming and the crowd is one of the best on the circuit. The meet
usually has a lot of energy and this helps me run fast. 2011 will be my
fifth time to run in the Golden Spike meeting. I have four Golden Spike
trophies from winning previous meets and would like to get a fifth on
31st May. Previously I competed in the 100m, 200m twice and 300m in
Ostrava. I have not yet decided which event I will run this year. My
coach will decide closer to the competition.” Bolt was supposed to run
also in 2004 as junior star but due to injury he was a late withdrawal,
but was even mentioned in the official printed programme. In 2006 he
achieved first meet record in the 200 m in 20.28, in 2008 clocked
another meet record at 200 m 19.83. A year later he posted windy 9.77
(+2.1) to win the 100 m and last year achieved in rain low-altitude
all-time best and area record at 300 m 30.97. All three options are open
for him, organizers have ready 100 m, 200 m or 300 m. In his planning
Bolt will run before Ostrava in Rome the 100 m and after the Czech meet
in Oslo the 200 m. His other European appearances are planned for Paris
and Monaco Diamond League meetings in July. Already earlier announced
for Ostrava are Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles who clocked at the Czech
venue the 110 m hurdles world record 12.87 in 2008, Jamaican olympic and
world winner Veronica Campbell-Brown for women 100 m. Also top javelin
throws are expected. In the men competetion Andreas Thorkildsen vs. Tero
PitkamÃ¤ki with young group coached by meeting director Jan Zelezny
(Petr Frydrych, Vitezslav Vesely, Jakub Vadlejch) and in the women one
world record holder Barbora Spotakova. Present at todayÂ´s press
conference where BoltÂ´s participation was announced was also fresh
European indoor champion Petr Svoboda who aims for the May date for a
fast time. “I m still tired with everything around my gold medal from
Paris, lots of activities. For summer the main aim is to remain healthy
and achieve the finals in Daegu,” said Svoboda.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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