(ATR) World’s fastest man Usain Bolt headlines the field for tonight’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo.
The six-time Olympic champion is making his season debut in the 200m, coming off last week’s .01 second defeat to Justin Gatlin in the 100m at the Rome Golden Gala.
Bolt is chasing the stadium record in the 200m, which he missed by .04 in 2011. Namibia's Frankie Fredericks, now an IOC member, holds the record of 19.82, set in 1996.
"I think I’m in shape to run sub-20," Bolt told reporters Tuesday at the traditional Strawberry Party press conference, held this year at the Russian Embassy in Oslo to help promote the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
"It’s all about execution and getting it right," the Jamaican added, mentioning the wet forecast.
"I don’t mind if it rains, that doesn’t bother me: a bit of rain can make a track faster. It's when it’s cold that it's a problem, so hopefully it will be warm."
Asked about his competition leading into the world champs, he said several sprinters are "ready to go" this season.
"Tyson (Gay) has the world lead (100m), (Justin) Gatlin is running good, (Christophe) Lemaitre then beat Gatlin, (Yohan) Blake is coming back, and as his training partner I know what he is capable of, so there will be a lot of good competition throughout the year," Bolt said.
And on his health status after suffering from hamstring problems earlier this season, he said: "I trained today and I feel really well. My legs felt great and I’m really happy. I’m getting better, I just need more races under my belt."
The Bislett Games, which date back to 1924, are the sixth of 14 stops of the 2013 IAAF Diamond League.
Bislett Stadion is referred to as the "World Record Track" with 65 world records set over the years.
Another marquee event is the ladies high jump. Russian Olympic and world champion Anna Chicherova will battle two-time world champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia, who missed all of last season due to injury. Vlasic won the Diamond League meet in New York on May 25, while Chicherova won last week's Diamond League meet in Rome.
Reported in Oslo by Brian Pinelli
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