World record Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has finally confirmed that he’ll race at the London Grand Prix in July at the Olympic Stadium, where last year he became the first man ever to win the 100m and 200m double at consecutive Games.
“I’m looking forward to coming back to the UK, especially with it being a year since winning three golds in the Olympic Stadium,” Bolt said. “The crowd were amazing at the Games and I hope they will be out again... I haven’t competed at the London Diamond League since 2009, but it has always been a great meet with lots of Jamaican support. It almost feels like running at home.”
The reason Bolt hadn’t raced in London since 2009, save for the Olympics, was because he’s typically forced to pay taxes on his appearance fees (now $300,000 per event) and endorsements. But now they’ve created an exemption specifically for “non-resident athletes” to bring back the talent.
All-told, the London field will include 29 Olympic medalists, 12 world champions, and four world record holders. Besides Bolt, familiar faces will include Brits Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis, and Greg Rutherford, as well as Sally Pearson of Australia, Carmelita Jeter of the U.S., and Kirani James of Grenada.