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Sprint queen Thompson heads Paris line-up

By AFP
August 24, 2016

Paris: 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 on Tuesday.

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 3000m steeplechase, will also race at the Stade de France.