TORONTO - The world's fastest man is scheduled to tear up the track in Toronto.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica will race the 100 metres in the inaugural Toronto Festival of Excellence on June 11 at the rebuilt Varsity Stadium, his agent Ricky Simms told reporters in Jamaica.
"This is a new meeting and we are very happy to participate and give the many Jamaicans living in Canada the opportunity to see Usain compete," said Simms, of PACE Sports Management, based in Middlesex, England.
Meet promoter John Carson said he couldn't comment on Bolt's participation in the event but that there would be a news release issued later Friday.
Carson is also the meet director for the annual Classic Mile in Cambridge, Ont.
Bolt, 22, starred at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, breaking two world records in winning the 100 metres in 9.69 seconds and the 200 in 19.30. He also led Jamaica to a gold medal in the 4x100 relay.
He opened his season on Feb. 14 winning the 400 metres at a meet in Kingston, Jamaica. He'll run his first 100 metres of the season next Friday in St. Catherine, Jamaica.
The new Varsity Stadium seats 5,000 people but can be expanded for the Festival of Excellence. The stadium will also host the Canadian track and field championships from June 24 to 28, the first time the meet has been held in Toronto in 40 years.
It won't be the first time that Bolt has raced in Canada. The Jamaican won the 200 metres at the world youth championships in Sherbrooke, Que., in 2003.
Bolt won Sportsman of the Year 2008 for Jamaica on Friday. He also took the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year award and Jamaica's Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year.
