ELAINE THOMPSON HEADED TO DIAMOND LEAGUE

Sprint queen Elaine Thompson booked for Paris Diamond League
Paris bound

Elaine Thompson (right) celebrates winning the Women’s 100m Final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 2016. (Photo: AFP) FRANCK FIFE

Paris, France (AFP) — Jamaica’s newly crowned double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson will headline a strong field featuring 27 Rio medallists in Friday’s Diamond League meeting in Paris, event organisers announced yesterday.

French supporters will also have a chance to welcome back four of their own Olympic stars, including pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who was left in tears after losing his title to Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva in front of a jeering partisan crowd.

However, Usain Bolt, who sealed a historic “triple triple” with gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in his final Games, will not take part, having already decided to take a break from competition.

The Jamaican superstar also missed the 2015 meeting in the French capital with a leg injury.

Nine Rio gold medallists, including women’s 100m and 200m champion Thompson, will take part though, with Kerron Clement set to run the 400m hurdles and fellow American Ryan Crouser competing in the shot put.

Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet, who became Bahrain’s first Olympic champion when she claimed the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, will also race at the Stade de France.