Bolt to run 100m in Monaco for worlds preparation

Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt will feature in the 100 metre event at the IAAF Diamond League Monaco meeting, the organisers have confirmed.

The meeting in the Municipality, slated on July 21, is the final Diamond League fixture before August's IAAF World Championships, and the Jamaican saw it as a good preparation opportunity for his World Championships finale, as he announced that he would retire after the tournament, reports Xinhua news agency.

It will be the first time for Bolt to return to the Louis II Stadium after 2011, when he clocked 9.88 seconds for the victory.

The world record holder (9.58 seconds) will only race in the 100m event in the Monaco meeting, just as he will do in London two weeks from there.

Bolt finished his first race of the year in 10.03 seconds in Kingston, capital of Jamaica, also his final appearance on his homeland's track. He is scheduled to run in Ostrava, Czech Republic on June 28.

Other stars confirmed on Wednesday for the Monaco meeting include pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, world and Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen, Olympic javelin champion Thomas Rohler, Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz and world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop.

The 2017 IAAF World Championships will run from August 4 to 13 in London.

--IANS

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