Usain Bolt returns to London for Anniversary Games
Last Updated: 10/07/15 11:17am
Usain Bolt will return to London's Olympic Stadium after being announced as one of the headline acts for the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games.
The world record holder for both the 100m and 200m will compete on the Friday evening in Stratford - just as he did two years ago for the first anniversary of his Olympic success.
Bolt joins Mo Farah, who confirmed this week that he taking part in the event to celebrate three years since London 2012, in the line-up along with fellow gold medal winners Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford.
The 28-year-old claimed three Olympic gold medals on the track in 2012 and the Jamaican is looking forward to competing in the stadium once again.
"London is a special place where I love to compete and I am looking forward to the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games on July 24," he said.
"The British fans are always great and I expect there will also be a lot of Jamaican fans in the stadium.
"It will be amazing to put on another great show for them under the floodlights on the Friday night."
Mayor of London Boris Johnson hailed Bolt's decision to compete and believes it is fitting to reopen the iconic stadium with one of its original stars.
"The opening night of the Anniversary Games has attracted the strongest field ever assembled for a single night of athletics, providing Londoners with another 'I was there' moment," he said.
"The chance to see a living legend like Bolt is very rare and we are delighted to be able to welcome him to the reopening of the stadium where he so thrilled us all at the 2012 Games.
"It is a beginning of a new chapter for the stadium and there will be many more amazing nights to come - it is wonderful that we are starting in such style."
Sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey will be one of those names likely to come up against Bolt and believes he will have plenty of support from the stands.
"It was obvious what London did in 2012, the show they put on, it will live in everyone's memories," he said. "The 2013 Anniversary Games were phenomenal and having Bolt there will be excellent - he has a special affinity with Britain and the British public.
"He trains down in west London when he is in the UK, he likes London and it puts on a hell of an athletics meet. Every athlete will want to beat everyone and I want to beat Usain, who doesn't? People are now going to make sure they get tickets.
"It is a rarity to see him. He has said the 2017 World Championships could be his last championships so there would only be that event left to see Bolt after this."
The Anniversary Games will be the first event held at the Olympic Stadium since work began to convert the stadium for use by Premier League football club West Ham United who are due to move in from August 2016.
Aas part of the deal which saw the Hammers land the anchor tenancy, British Athletics will have one month every year for a 50-year spell where they take over the venue.
