Lausanne, Switzerland – The Samsung Diamond League returns to Europe on Thursday (8) at Lausanne’s Athletissima with the main spotlight falling on double World record holder Usain Bolt’s return to action.

Sidelined with a mild Achilles tendon injury since late May, the triple World and Olympic champion returns to track for the first time since, nearly fully mended but nonetheless with a doctor’s order to avoid running the bend. That ruled out the Jamaican’s third 200m appearance of the season, but anxious to get back into action and live up to his commitment, Bolt asked organisers if a 100m race could be added to the programme. Meeting Director Jacky Delapierre happily obliged.

“My doctor (Hans Müller-Wohlfahrt) advised against running the curve,” Bolt explained, adding that the injury he picked up at the Golden Spike in Ostrava is behind him – almost. “I still have a very slight pain early in the day, but then it goes away after I warm up.”

Bolt opened his 100m campaign in Daegu on 19 May, running 9.86, currently the second fastest time in the world this season. But he insists that he won’t line up with any particular time as a target.

“It’ll be good to see where I’m at,” after missing three weeks of training. “I’m not worried, but more excited to finally get back on the track. To get through the race is the most important thing, to finish the race injury-free.”

The switch gave organisers little time to assemble a field, but they did manage to attract some notable names on short notice. Among them is young Jamaican Yohan Blake (10.00, 30 June), the runner-up at New York’s Samsung Diamond League stop and 2008 Olympic fourth place finisher Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles.

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