JOIN USBolt, Gay nod for Diamond League
"It's going to be awesome, so people look out for it," Bolt told a dinner meeting on Saturday to launch the series, which promises more head-to-head competition.
"It's going to be good for the fans," United States 100 metres record holder Gay told Reuters. "There's not going to be ducking (out of meeting your top rivals).
Both sprinters plus Jamaica's former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell and six other top athletes -- Kenenisa Bekele, Yelena Isinbayeva, Steve Hooker, Sanya Richards, Blanka Vlasic, Andreas Thorkildsen -- have already committed to seven meetings in the series, which has competitions in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. More are expected to join those athletes.
"The concept is good for more showdowns," Bolt said. "So I am really looking forward for it. It is good for the sport and it is going to be good for us to keep competing against each other."
Either Bolt, Gay or Powell will be in each of the 14 meetings. Many will have two of them and a select few all three.
But Bolt was reluctant to say where. "I will compete any time it is necessary but for me," he said, adding it will be his agent and coach who will decide "what time I run and who I run against". Gay was more specific. "I will be racing Bolt at least three times or more," said the world's second fastest man who recently had groin surgery.
Both sprinters are expected to run the 100 and 200M. Like Bolt, Gay will most likely focus on the 100. "I'm going to run some 200s but I'm going to concentrate on the 100," he said. "That 100M diamond is what I want."
The schedule of the
Diamond league meetings:
* May 14: Doha (Qatar)
* May 23: Shanghai (China)
* June 2: Oslo (Norway)
* June 10: Rome (Italy)
* June 12: New York (USA)
* July 3: Eugene (USA)
* July 8: Lausanne (Switzerland)
* July 10: Gateshead (England)
* July 16: Paris (France)
* July 22: Monaco
* August 6: Stockholm (Sweden)
* Aug 13/14: London (England)
* Aug 19: Zurich (Switzerland)
* Aug 27: Brussels (Belgium)