Usain Bolt celebrates his Olympic title and world record (© Getty Images)
Just over a week after turning the sprinting world upside down, the Bolt Express will be landing in Zurich when the ÅF Golden League resumes in Zurich on Friday, 29 August.
Over a span of four days, the 22-year-old Jamaican electrified Beijing and the world with two World record, his 9.69 in the 100m and an otherworldly 19.30 in the 200, to become the first man to set World records in both events in a single Olympic Games. At the moment, the laid back Jamaican just may be the most written about athlete on the planet.
Bolt will contest the 100m where he’ll face a pair of men who captured Beijing medals in his wake: Richard Thompson of Trinidad, the silver medallist in the 100 who clocked a personal best 9.89; and Walter Dix, the most successful U.S. sprinter in the Chinese capital, who dashed to double bronze.
Of course, one of the chief highlights at the annual Weltklasse fixture will be the continued chase for the $1 million ÅF Golden League Jackpot. Two athletes remain in the chase, and one, teenager Pamela Jelimo, has already added her name to the Olympic history books with her sensational 800m victory in 1:54.87, a World junior record and the first ever Olympic gold medal performance by a Kenyan woman.
Also in the hunt is Croatia’s World high jump champion Blanka Vlasic who will bring her 34-meeting win streak to Zurich.
Als confirmed is another face-off between men’s 400m titans Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt, men’s 1500m Olympic gold medallist Rashid Ramzi, and 110m Hurdles World record holder Dayron Robles vs. American David Oliver.
Other Olympic medalists already confirmed include Pole Vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, 100m Hurdles winner Dawn Harper (USA), 400m Hurdles champion Angelo Taylor, and Brimin Kipruto (KEN) in the 3000m Steeplechase.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
