Saturday 5 July 2014, Lightning is set to strike the Stade de France once again

It is difficult to get to see the Jamaican return to the same track two years running, but that’s exactly what will be happening in the Stade de France again* this year, and clearly nobody’s complaning! The Jamaican will be lining up for the 100m, a distance over which he holds the world record (9”58 on 16 August 2009 in Berlin), the last three world titles (2009, 2011 and 2013), and the Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

Last year, Usain Bolt won the 200m in a time of 19’’73 ahead of Warren Weir and Christophe Lemaitre, which equated to the best performance in the world that season and a new meeting record. He also holds the MEETING AREVA record over 100m of 9’’79 (2009).

 
Usain Bolt loves the atmosphere of the MEETING AREVA and that sentiment is echoed in his return to the Stade de France for a 5th time. “We are delighted to be able to announce the presence of Usain Bolt at the MEETING AREVA so early on”, said the President of the French Athletics Federation, Bernard Amsalem, this morning. “The presence of the Jamaican is a guarantee of a rare and exceptional moment, where everyone in the stadium will be able to say… I was there. To see Usain Bolt run is both a remarkable moment and a festive occasion and we’ll obviously be making the most of his presence to enhance the value of athletics among the greatest number of people. France’s top athletes will also be competing and I’m convinced that they will be keen to shine in front of a home crowd”. Laurent Boquillet, organiser of the MEETING AREVA, sees it as a good omen at the start to this year and something on which to confidently and calmly build the best possible line-up for one of the world’s top meetings. “Usain Bolt at the MEETING AREVA – it’s the Holy Grail for every one of the meetings’ organisers because his very presence is an event in itself. Usain Bolt vows a real passion for Paris and France as a whole, which we aren’t going to complain about and, above all, we’re going to make the most of his presence to develop the meeting’s notoriety among the general public. Every year we strive to offer the cream of world athletics at the Stade de France and thanks to the Bolt ‘phenomenon’, we have the opportunity to offer the public the chance to discover athletics in a different light, by showcasing the amazing talent of the best athletes on the planet.”

With the promise that lightning will strike the Stade de France once again, the MEETING AREVA 2014 is set to attract large crowds. The date is favourable to this as the event comes over a week before the mass exodus of the Parisians for the 14th July holidays. Just like last year, the meeting will take place on a Saturday, a day that in principle is more conducive for drawing people to the grandstands of this Ile de France arena in force. It’s also the fourth time that it’s been organised in the middle of the weekend, (1999, 2006, 2013 and now 2014).

 
*Usain Bolt even participated in the Meeting in 2009, 2010 and 2011, then 2013 and this season, 2014.