Diamond League
- Venue: Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich, Switzerland
- Date: Thursday, 30 August
Coverage: BBC Two (19:00 BST) and BBC Sport website
Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake hopes to spring another surprise when
he competes in the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on
Thursday.
He
ran the joint-third fastest time in 100m history in Lausanne last week
- only Usain Bolt has run faster.
Fastest 100m Times
- 9.58 - Usain Bolt (Jam) Berlin 2009
- 9.63 - Usain Bolt (Jam) London 2012
- 9.69 - Usain Bolt (Jam) Beijing 2008
- 9.69 - Tyson Gay (USA) Shanghai 2009
- 9.69 - Yohan Blake (Jam) Lausanne 2012
"I hope everything goes to plan," Blake, 22, told the BBC. "I won't give you a time, I'm a man of surprises."
Blake, who won silver in both the 100m and 200m at the Olympics, heads a field of 15 gold medallists from London 2012.
But the world champion will not compete against Bolt after the pair decided not to compete against each other for the remainder of the season. Bolt plans to run over 200m at Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium.
Blake, who entered the season with a 9.82 best from Zurich last year and twice ran 9.75 this year before his 9.69 in Lausanne, will race against Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey of the United States.
Six-time Olympic champion Bolt, meanwhile, clocked a 19.58 meeting record in Lausanne and will face countrymen Warren Weir, the Olympic bronze medallist over the distance, and Jason Young.
"I'm just going out there to compete," said Bolt. "It's the end of the season and I'm not as young as I used to be.
"One thing my coach told me is that if you push your body all year, every year, it will deteriorate quickly so if I take my time, I can make my career last. I will just try to relax and go out there and do my best for my fans."
Elsewhere, David Rudisha, who smashed the 800m world record in London on his way to gold, will compete in his only post-Olympic outing of the season. Amd the Kenyan, who has not returned home since his triumph, is confident of another fast time.
"I wanted to stay focused because when I go home there will be distractions and celebrations and I might forget my training," Rudisha told BBC Sport. "So I have stayed in Europe to finish the season and then I will go and celebrate.
"We were happy that everything went as planned [in London]. The weather was beautiful and that was a good thing because sometimes I'm affected with weather when it's cold and rain.
"I think we are still sticking with our plan and we are looking for another fast race here in Zurich."
British high jumper Robbie Grabarz arrives in Zurich holding the lead in the Diamond League series. The Olympic bronze medallist, who set a new personal best in Lausanne, goes up against Jesse Williams of the United States and co-bronze medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar.
In the women's events, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter, who were first and second in the 100m final in London, will renew their rivalry over the same distance in Zurich. The field also includes 200m Olympic champion Allyson Felix and Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria.
In the 400m, the top four finishers from London will compete with gold medallist Sanya Richards-Ross lining up alongside silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu and bronze medallist DeeDee Trotter as well as Olympic 400m hurdles champion Natalya Antyukh.
0 comments:
Post a Comment