BOLT... all clear to compete at the Olympic Games.
Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
WORLD JUNIOR 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt has been given the greenlight to represent Jamaica at this month's Athens Olympics in Greece.
A source close to the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) said late yesterday that Bolt was given the go-ahead by both the association's medical and technical committees following exhaustive tests over the past four days.
According to the source, the technical team which put Bolt through his paces on Friday said he "looked okay and did not show any obvious pain from his recent hamstring injury."
At press time yesterday members of the JAAA and Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) were said to be meeting to issue an official release.
CONCERN
There is some concern over whether the 2002 world junior champion should be allowed to compete in next week's Zurich Grand Prix meet. Bolt is scheduled to compete at the meet along with several other Jamaican athletes.
Local-based members of Jamaica's track and field delegation are due to leave the island tomorrow evening en route to Nuremburg, Germany for a seven-day pre-Olympic camp.
Last Thursday, the JOA, while naming Bolt in the official delegation for the Games, said it was still "awaiting confirmation of his fitness from the JAAA".
Bolt, who set the world junior record of 19.93 on April 11 at the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, has been out of competitive action since running a 4x400m leg for an invitational Jamaica quartet at this year's Penn Relays in late April.
A troublesome hamstring injury had kept him out of three big meets, one at home and two others in Europe. In addition he was forced out of this year's World Junior Championships in Italy. He returned to the island last Tuesday after seeking specialist treatment in Germany.
Bolt is one of three male athletes down to run the 200 metres in Athens. The other two are Steve Mullings, the national champion, and Christopher Williams.
Asafa Powell who has a season-best of 20.10 seconds for the half-lap event has been named an alternate for the 200m. Powell is the national champion and record-holder for the 100m but did not compete in the 200m at the recent National Senior Championships.
