Usain Bolt will race over 100m at Lausanne's IAAF Diamond League meeting instead of the 200m, as part of his recovery from injury.
Jamaican legend forced to switch race plans due to injury
Usain Bolt will race over 100m at Lausanne's IAAF Diamond League meeting instead of the 200m, as part of his recovery from injury.
Bolt has not competed since injuring his Achilles tendon at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava six weeks ago and, on the advice of German specialist Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolfhart, has accepted he must restrict running bends.
The injury means that the Olympic champion will skip his clash with American Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix, who showed he is in excellent shape when winning last Saturday's Eugene Diamond League meeting in 19.76 seconds.
Instead Bolt will test out his fitness in a 100m race which was not on the original timetable and, apart from fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake, is very lightweight.
However, Bolt sees it as an important step as he resumes his racing schedule and is determined to honour as many of his appearances as possible, even though 200m races may now be ruled out.
Injury
"The specialist has told me because of the injury I should avoid running the curve," Bolt said. "In the morning when I get up it's kind of stiff but when I move around it's fine and goes away."
Bolt, who saw Dr Muller-Wolfhart immediately after feeling a sore hamstring after his Ostrava race, added: "The doctor said I should take three weeks off and then in the fourth I did speed endurance and last week speed work.
"When I did the speed work I actually tried doing bend work but it aggravated the injury, so I've just been doing straight work.
"I'm not really worried. My coach told me when I came into track and field I will get injured. The most important thing for me is to get through the race, see where I am at and finish injury-free."
Bolt's next outing will be a 100m clash with fellow countryman Asafa Powell at the Diamond League in Paris next Friday, while he also has appearances in London, Zurich and Brussels in his programme.
"For me the important thing is to finish the season. For athletes it is our job," the triple Olympic champion added.
British interest on the seventh leg of the Samsung Diamond League will centre around Michael Rimmer in the 800m, Andy Turner in the 110m hurdles, Dai Green in the 400m hurdles and high jumper Samson Oni.
World silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey is in a loaded 1500m race while Barbara Parker, who set a 3,000m steeplechase personal best in Eugene, is also competing.
