Usain Bolt will be available to compete at this summer's Commonwealth games

Six time Olympic champion Usain Bolt has announced he would be available to compete for team Jamaica at this years summer Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 27-year-old who is currently out with a foot injury confirmed on his official website that although he is unavailable for the national championships this weekend, he has informed the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) he wants to feature in Scotland, but may only take part in the relay event.

"I do not wish to take the place of anyone who qualifies this weekend in an individual event, but am available for relay duty if the selectors feel I can be an asset to the Jamaican team in Glasgow," Bolt added in a statement on his website. 

There were fears Bolt would not be ready for the summer extravaganza which gets under way on July 23, having pulled out of events in Ostrava and Paris after being forced to miss training earlier in the year. This announcement will be a definite boost to Glasgow’s organisers as Bolt’s global appeal means he will be a star attraction at the Games, even if he is not competing in the individual races.

"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event,” he added.

Bolt has never raced in the Commonwealth Games, having missed the events in Melbourne in 2006 and Delhi four years ago.

High-quality sprint clashes set for IAAF Diamond league in Paris

The Stade de France in Paris will be the place to be on saturday the 5th of July when the next meeting of the  IAAF Diamond League is scheduled to take place. A women’s 200m field and men’s 100m line-up both worthy of a major championships final will be among the expected highlights.

For the first time since 2010, Allyson Felix will contest the 200m at the Stade de France where she won in a stadium record of 22.14. The Olympic champion and three-time world champion will be up against a host of top sprinters, including double world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, world leader Tori Bowie, double world medallist Blessing Okagbare and 2010 European champion Myriam Soumare.

Felix, Fraser-Pryce, Bowie and Okagbare have already raced against each other over 200m this season. Bowie came out on top on that occasion with Okagbare setting a PB in second place and Felix running a season’s best of 22.44 in third.

The men's 100m line up features seven athletes who have all run under 10secs. Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson, who improved his own national record to 9.82 at last weekend’s national championships and the fastest man in the world this year, is one of seven men in the 100m field who have run faster than 10 seconds for the distance.

Among those set to take him on include world bronze medallist Nesta Carter, former world record-holder Asafa Powell, former US champion Michael Rodgers, 2003 world champion Kim Collins, European champion Christophe Lemaitre and European indoor champion Jimmy Vicaut.

Four World Leads the Highlight in Oslo’s Bislett Stadium

The ExxonMobil Bislett Games enjoyed four world leads on a beautiful Wednesday evening as the fifth stage of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League arrived in Oslo for the prestigious athletic event. 

Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills extended her current win streaks to three with a comfortable 50.06 season’s best. Later on she said “I admit it is time to go under 50-seconds now. The big goal is to win the Diamond Race.”

World indoor silver medallist, Martinot-Lagarde added to his victory in the IAAF Eugene Diamond League in May with a swift 13.12 world-leading and lifetime best performance in the 110m hurdles.  

World indoor record holder and Olympic champion, Renaud Lavillenie continued his pole vault dominance with a comfortable 5.77m victory.

Allyson Felix strode home in front in the women’s 200m. Felix looked more like her old self as she pulled gracefully away from the field down the home straight in a modest time of 22.73.

Following 400m hurdles wins in Eugene and Rome, World indoor 400m silver medallist, Kaliese Spencer added another victory to her 2014 campaign with first place 54.94.
The 27-year-old Jamaican - and Olympic fourth placer over the barriers – pipped Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya in a tight finish, with the 21-year-old Doha IAAF Diamond League winner clocking 54.96.

Carl Lewis was present as Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson stole the show in the 100m to close the evening’s proceedings winning by 0.02 in 10.02 from Frenchman Jimmy.
The 29-year-old 2008 Olympic silver medallist – who ran 9.95 in Hengelo last weekend – managed to hold off the fast-finishing Jimmy Vicaut, who was timed at 10.04 in the runner-up position.
The 22-year-old Frenchman improved on his third place in Eugene, whilst Great Britain’s Adam Gemili finished third with 10.11. Russia’s world indoor champion, Mariya Kuchina made up for finishing fourth in Eugene by claiming the high jump honours with a 1.98m personal best.
The 21-year-old won on count-back from Croatia’s two-time world indoor and outdoor champion, Blanka Vlasic who opened her outdoor campaign in style and rekindled her fond memories of winning in Oslo on four previous occasions.

Will Claye maintained his impressive winning streak following victories on the IAAF Diamond League circuit in Eugene and Rome with a win over his American counterpart Christian Taylor who put on a battle royale for the crowd, snatching back the triple jump lead in the sixth and final round with a 17.41m leap.

Olympic champion, Taylor registered a best of 17.15m for his third-consecutive runner-up spot.

  
Kenya’s Eunice Sum, who stormed to victory in the 800m in a swift 1:59.02 season’s best.
The 25-year-old world champion – who also finished first in Doha and Rome – came home clear of the USA’s Ajee Wilson, who registered a 1:59.68 season’s best, whilst Great Britain’s 19-year-old Jessica Judd placed third in 1:59.77 lifetime best.

Finally, Olympic and world decathlon champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton sped to a respectable 49.16 victory in the men’s 400m non-IAAF Diamond League event. The 26-year-old American set a 49.07 lifetime best as he uses the 2014 ‘off season’ as an opportunity to try a new event and revitalise his form before the world championship year. 

Injured Bolt confirms hw wouldn't compete on the 5th of July in Areva

Six-time Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt has confirmed he won’t be competing on 5 July at the 2014 edition of the Meeting Areva, the French stage of the IAAF Diamond League, due to inflammation of his foot.

It is an injury that has hampered him for much of the spring. “As reported a few weeks ago I had to miss some training in late March and early April due to a foot injury,” said the multiple world and Olympic champion and world record-holder.

“Thankfully my foot is 100% healthy now and I am back in full training. Unfortunately due to the training that I missed I am behind where I am at normally at this time of year and will not be ready to race in the Ostrava Golden Spike meet or the Meeting Areva in Paris. These are great events that I have competed in many times in the past and I plan to run in many times in the future. I have a lot of support in both countries and always get a good reception there.”
Bolt has yet to confirm whether he will compete in this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, in Bolt’s absence, the organisers have put together a great line-up. The full international field will be revealed nearer the time, but the top French stars were announced.
Topping the bill is Renaud Lavillenie. The Olympic pole vault champion has made his annual bid for victory at the Stade de France a speciality. This year, he’ll appear in front of a French audience for the first time since breaking the world record with his indoor 6.16m clearance.

2014 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 9 May
Shanghai, CHN – 18 May
Eugene, USA – 31 May
Rome, ITA – 5 Jun
Oslo, NOR – 11 Jun
New York, USA – 14 Jun
Lausanne, SUI – 3 Jul
Paris, FRA – 5 Jul
Glasgow, GBR – 11-12 Jul
Monaco, MON – 18 Jul
Stockholm, SWE – 21 Aug
Birmingham, GBR – 24 Aug
Zurich, SUI – 28 Aug
Brussels, BEL – 5 Sep