It would not be long now before professional track and field returns to the met area, and it will be just about when the high school and college season ends for the track buffs and athletes. Now we just need to have good weather, and not a rainy day.
All track and field competitors and spectators expect to jam once again for this year’s edition of the New York Diamond League meet on June 13. This event will mark the initial appearance for a world class competitor since the end of May 2008 when Usain Bolt ran a 9.72 second time for the 100-meter dash. Incidentally, Bolt, a native of Jamaica, has not competed in the met area since that time.
After his performance of some seven years ago, he won six Olympic Gold Medals, eight world championship titles and just kept on winning and setting records in the process. He is an outstanding sprinter, and he, alone, should bring out the fans.
Bolt holds the current 100-meter world record with a 9.58 clocking and 200-meter world record of 19.19.
He is certainly looking forward to compete here once again at Ichan Stadium.
“No one could forget their first world record, and I will never forget the crowd in New York that night,” Bolt said. “They (the crowd) had to wait for an hour during a thunderstorm delay for our race and I don’t think a single person left the stadium. They deserve a great performance and I‘m glad I was able to give iit to them.”
However, officials and connections of the upcoming meet did not announce if Bolt will compete in the 100 or 200-meter runs at Ichan Stadium.
The 28-year old Bolt will start off the current outdoor season by competing in the 100-meter dash in Rio in mid April.
His highlight of the outdoor season is the World Championships in Athletics at the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China in August.
Meanwhile, the highlight invitational races in the tri-state area will be the Penn Relays. This is a meet that draws large crowds with something for everyone.
