World record-holder Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres at Rome’s Golden Gala on June 6.
It will be the third consecutive year the six-time Olympic champion from Jamaica will run at the Stadio Olimpico, Local organisers announced on Tuesday.
Rome is the opening European meet in the Diamond League.
Bolt has also committed to run the 200 at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, on June 13; the 4×100 relay at the Golden Spike in the Czech city of Ostrava on June 27, and the 200 again at the Areva Meeting in Paris on July 6, as part of his preparations for the world championships in Moscow from August 10-18.
Bolt won gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay at last year’s London Olympics and is aiming to repeat the triple feat in Moscow.
Bolt won the 100 in Rome the past two years, clocking 9.91 seconds in 2011 and 9.76 last season. On both occasions, former world record-holder Asafa Powell was runner-up and Christophe Lemaitre of France was third.
Rome organisers have not yet announced who will be running against Bolt this time.
Bolt’s most recent 100 record of 9.58 was set at the 2009 worlds in Berlin.
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