Kingston, Jamaica – Just day’s after Usain Bolt’s first 100m of the year was confirmed the Beijing Olympic hero’s signing for a race in Canada has also been announced.
Ricky Simms, who is Bolt’s representative, has confirmed his athlete will run 100m at the Toronto Festival of Excellence, an international meet in Canada on 11 June.
Simms, yesterday in an email to Jamaican journalists, confirmed reports from January, which linked Bolt to the meet, to be held at the new Varsity Centre. The new 5000-seat stadium, which organisers said would have to be increased to accommodate the anticipated large turnout, replaced the ancient Varsity Stadium on Toronto’s Bloor Street.
“…Usain will run the 100m in the Toronto Festival of Excellence on June 11th,” confirmed Simms, head of the Middlesex, England based PACE Sports Management.
“This is a new meeting and we are very happy to participate and give the many Jamaicans living in Canada the opportunity to see Usain compete,” continued Simms
In pre-season outings in Jamaica, Bolt ran two 400-metre races and last Saturday at Gibson Relays, legs on his Racers Club 4x400m and 4x100m teams. Bolt’s his first 100-metre event is set for March 14 at the Lucozade Sport/GC Foster College Classics in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
A Toronto Star newspaper reported organisers, in January, were luring Bolt to the meet to be staged at the University of Toronto, for which he could attract an appearance fee of US$250,000.
Simms said Bolt’s entire international schedule would be announced soon. “We will be announcing the remainder of Usain’s international schedule over the next few weeks,” he added.
IAAF Anthony Foster
