Bolt a one-man show in Shanghai?

Three-time world sprint champion Usain Bolt is set for a showdown in Shanghai against himself. The Jamaican superstar is the only competitor listed so far for the men's 100m event at the post-season Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on September 20, organisers said.

American Tyson Gay and Bolt's compatriot and former world record holder Asafa Powell will not attend, said Eifen Shan, a spokesman for the event's organisers.

Bolt agreed last month to race in China for the first time since his triple Olympic gold performance at last year's Summer Games. He set a blistering new world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100m at the world championships in Berlin last month.

Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva will also compete in Shanghai in a bid for redemption after failing to bag a medal in Berlin in her bid for an unprecedented third consecutive world gold.

Organisers said they were still hoping Chinese hurdling star Liu Xiang might choose to make his comeback in Shanghai after a foot injury forced him to dramatically pull out of the Olympics. Next year, the Shanghai event will be included in the 14-meet 'Diamond League', which replaces the current schedule of six Golden League meets and supplementary Grand Prix meetings. The prize money for Shanghai is a "commercial secret", Shan said.

SHANGHAI, Friday, AFP