KINGSTON, Jamaica — Global sprint super star Usain Bolt will get his chance to silence doubters when he competes in the 200m at the 54th Ostrava Golden Spikes meet, an IAAF World Challenge event at the newly refurbished Mestsky stadium.

Reports from Ostrava are that all 15,000 seats have been sold out as Bolt makes his seventh appearance at the meet but first in several years. This will be Bolt’s first race in Europe since August last year.

Three other Jamaicans are down to take part, Asafa Powell is listed for the men’s 100m where he holds the meeting record of 9.83 seconds set in pouring rain. Olympic silver medallists Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart will meet in the women’s 100m as well.

Bolt will be the headliner and told journalists up on arriving in Ostrava a few days ago that he is in much better shape than his season best 10.12 seconds in the 100m and 20.20 seconds in the 200m would suggest.

Bolt holds the meet record of 19.83 seconds in the 200m and has never been beaten in his previous six appearances when he ran everything from 100m to 300m.

Paul Reid