World and Olympic double sprint champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica will race in this season's Diamond League meeting in Paris on July 8, organisers confirmed on Sunday.
It will be the Jamaican's third consecutive appearance in the French capital, but his first time to run the 200m at the Stade de France. Bolt, the Olympic and world champion and world record holder in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, last year clocked 9.84sec to beat compatriot Asafa Powell.
In 2009 he ran a sizzling 9.79sec in cold and windy conditions just one month before his double victory at the World Championships in Berlin where he set both of his current world records of 9.58 and 19.19.
Bolt will defend his world titles in the South Korean city of Daegu in August and kicks off his Diamond League season in Rome on May 26 over 100m. He is also scheduled to race the 200m in Oslo on June 9.
While it remains to be confirmed, Bolt may take on rising French sprint star Christophe Lemaitre, the triple European champ, in Paris, organisers said.
Sokolova sets 20km world record
Moscow: Vera Sokolova broke the world record in the women's 20km walk on Saturday, taking over half a minute off the old mark set by fellow Russian Olimpiada Ivanova in 2005. The 23-year-old clocked one hour 25 minutes 8 seconds at the Russian national championships in the Black Sea resort Sochi, bettering Ivanova's time of 1:25:41, set in Helsinki in 2005.
Sokolova, who finished third at last year's European championships in Barcelona behind two compatriots Olga Kaniskina and Anisya Kirdyapkina, was able to beat Kirdyapkina by a second this time round, the Russian athletics federation said. World, Olympic and European champion Kaniskina did not take part in the Sochi event, who is busy preparing for World Championships.
{{/usCountry}}Sokolova, who finished third at last year's European championships in Barcelona behind two compatriots Olga Kaniskina and Anisya Kirdyapkina, was able to beat Kirdyapkina by a second this time round, the Russian athletics federation said. World, Olympic and European champion Kaniskina did not take part in the Sochi event, who is busy preparing for World Championships.
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