Bolt and Powell, who share the fastest time this year of 9.82 seconds, meet in a much-anticipated showdown at the Areva meet at the Stade de France.

“Asafa Powell taking the start, plus runners like Yohan Blake and Daniel Bailey, I know the 100 will be a great race,” Bolt said. “My goal will be not to lose this race. I plan to go 9.7. It should be a good race. Asafa is ready.”

Following an Achilles’ tendon injury, Bolt returned to competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 9 and clocked 9.82 seconds. That matched Powell’s time in Rome on June 10.

Missing today will be American sprinter Tyson Gay, who beat Powell in Gateshead last weekend. The Stade de France race will be Bolt’s third 100 competition of the season.

“I no longer feel the slightest discomfort as far as my Achilles’ tendon goes,” Bolt said. “I’m, however, remaining careful and being really attentive during training sessions. According to my doctor, I should be running at 100 per cent again in two or three weeks.”

Powell is the last man to have beaten Bolt in the 100, two years ago in Stockholm. Bolt, the Olympic and world champion and world record-holder in the 100 and 200, said he improved a lot after that defeat.

“My coach used to say that you have to learn how to lose before knowing how to win. Looking back at the race, I figured out where I made mistakes and I worked on correcting them,” Bolt said.

Powell was overtaken in the final metres by Gay at last Saturday’s British Grand Prix, but Bolt believes his Jamaican rival will be dangerous.

“Asafa has proven to be highly consistent this season, with a fair number of times close to the 9.80 mark. He is waiting for me.”

Powell said he made a mistake at the British Grand Prix by underestimating Gay.

“I was in front then I got a bit too relaxed while Tyson was pushing,” Powell said. “I know what I did and it’s just for me not to do it again. Against Usain, there is always a chance to beat him. Anything is possible.”

Bolt said his rivalry with Powell is purely a sporting one.

“Asafa and I are enemies on the track, but we’re very close outside competition,” he said. “We like to get together and to spend time in each other’s company, and even rap together.”

Christophe Lemaitre, who set a French national record in the 100 last week when he clocked 9.98, will try to cope with the pressure in front of his home crowd.

The 20-year-old Lemaitre will run for the first time at the Stade de France and will be gearing up for the European championships later this month in Barcelona.

“I’m very eager to compete against (Bolt and Powell),” Lemaitre said. “I consider it as an opportunity to test myself prior to the European championships, and to gain experience. Over the past few years, I’ve often missed out on opportunities to come face to face with top-level rivals. I’m sure that this type of confrontation can help me to improve.”

Bolt said Lemaitre was now “up with the big boys” after breaking the 10-seconds barrier.

“I’m definitely going to keep a very close eye on him,” he said. “He is going to have to continue to work on his performances and stay focused.”

Lemaitre’s coach Pierre Carraz asked organisers to make him run next to Bolt and Powell and the Frenchman will be surrounded by the two Jamaicans.

“If I had any advice to give him, it would be to focus on his own race,” Powell said. “Do your own thing, don’t think about Usain Bolt or Asafa Powell.”

Bolt set a Stade de France record last year, clocking 9.79 seconds in cool weather and steady rain. His world record, set at the Berlin World Championships last year, is 9.58 seconds.

Dayron Robles, the defending Olympic champion and world-record holder in the 110-metre hurdles, pulled out of the meeting because of leg problems and American David Oliver will be the main attraction in that race.

Oliver clocked the season’s best time of 12.90 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, just 0.03 short of Robles’ world record.

No world record has ever been set on the fast Stade de France track.

American Jeremy Wariner, whose season has been disrupted by knee surgery, will be competing in the 400 metres after setting a world season best of 44.57 in Lausanne.

“My training shows that I can run in 43 seconds now,” Wariner said. “But my main goal is to try to run faster than in Lausanne.”

In the women’s competition, American Allyson Felix will run the 200 after winning the 100 at the US championships and the 400 at the Prefontaine Classic.

“My goal this season is to set new personal records in 200 and 400,” said the two-time Olympic silver medallist in the 200. “I definitely want to double at the London Olympics. I don’t know if it’s realistic, we’ll see.”

Source: JamaicaObserver

“Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….”

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Ending weeks of silence and drama, the two-time MVP said on his ESPN special from Greenwich, Conn. on Thursday night that he’s decided to join the Miami Heat and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the championship he covets.

“The best opportunity to win and to win now and to win in the future also,” James said. “Winning is a huge thing for me.”

It’s a huge victory for the Heat, who got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper echelon of the most-celebrated free-agent period in league history.

Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, a three-pack of stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.

And for Cleveland, a city scorned for generations by some of sports’ biggest letdowns, James’ long-awaited words represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.

James is gone. Home sweet home no more.

He said he made the decision Thursday morning and knows it won’t go over well in Ohio.

“They can have mixed emotions, of course,” James said, adding that Akron will “always be home for me.”

His new home — part-time or otherwise — wasted no time in beginning the celebration. Horns honked outside the arena and on Miami Beach, where Wade was watching the announcement with members of his inner circle.

“It’s going to be crazy,” Wade said.

James, Bosh and Wade entered the pros in the same year, the respective Nos. 1, 4 and 5 picks in the 2003 draft. They went their separate ways: James to Cleveland, Bosh to Toronto and Wade to Miami, where he won a championship partnered with center Shaquille O’Neal in 2006. That year, James, Bosh and Wade all signed matching contracts to make sure they were all unrestricted free agents at the same time.

Season-ticket sales for the Heat’s coming 41-game season were suspended Thursday afternoon after the entire supply of available seats were sold out. Not every seat has been released for sale yet and some will be held back for single-game purchases at the 19,600-capacity arena.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said while attending a tournament of high school stars at Cleveland State University, co-sponsored by James and Nike, one of the 25-year-old’s corporate partners.

Believe it.

The Cavaliers, a franchise that was in ruins before winning a lottery drawing and bringing James up Interstate 77 from his Akron home, have had the upper hand — until now. They were able to offer him more money — $30 million more — than any other team.

This wasn’t about money, though.

Wade and Bosh both said they would take fewer dollars to make this happen. And that, combined with what Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said to James on the recruiting tour, was enough to pull off the stunner.

Because they have overspent while trying to please James and win the first title by any of Cleveland’s three pro sports teams since 1964, the Cavs are strapped with a few big contracts that have eaten up salary-cap space and prevented them from making roster moves to improve the team.

They’ve come close to winning it all with James, who at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds has the quickness of a point guard and brute force of an NFL defensive lineman.

With the possible exception of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, James is the NBA’s premier player, but his legacy cannot be fulfilled until he wins a championship.

If it’s going to happen soon, it’ll happen in Miami.

ESPN would only confirm that active discussions for the special are ongoing. But sources tell Broussard that representatives for James contacted the network, proposing that James makes his announcement during a 9 p.m. ET special.

Those sources said that James’ representatives requested they be allowed to sell sponsorship for the one-hour special, with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and that ESPN agreed to the proposal but had not been told what James has decided.

The NBA’s most prized free agent opened a Twitter account on Tuesday and posted his first message on the social networking site. While he provided no information about his future plans, at least he offered something as the NBA awaits the decision on where he’ll play next.

“Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building,” said the tweet on the kingjames feed, which by 9 p.m. ET had more than 167,000 followers.

James’ publicist, Keith Estabrook, confirmed the superstar’s entrance to Twitter, a place where fellow prized free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh often post details about their public lives off the floor.

James’ plans still are a closely guarded secret. He visited with six teams — the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls — last week at his business offices in downtown Cleveland.

Early Wednesday, it appeared that if James were to play next season with Wade and Bosh, he’d do it in Miami: Bosh has decided to join Wade with the Heat, a source with knowledge of the situation told Broussard. An announcement was expected later in the day.

ESPN’s Shelley Smith also reported that Bosh would join Wade in Miami.

It was not immediately clear whether Bosh would sign with Miami outright or join the Heat through a sign-and-trade deal. Bosh could earn $125 million over six years via sign-and-trade, but only $96 million over five without it.

If Bosh joins a team without doing a sign-and-trade, he will be able to sign only a five-year deal worth $96 million. He is determined not to leave that $29 million on the table, sources told Broussard.

“Either way, he’s definitely going to Miami,” the source said.

There had been various reports that the Toronto Raptors were working on a sign-and-trade deal with Cleveland for Bosh, and that James tried to convince him to join the Cavaliers. Both James and Bosh were aware that such a trade was possible, and James tried to recruit Bosh to the Cavaliers several times in the past few weeks, sources told Broussard.

But Bosh wanted to play with James in Cleveland, Chicago or Miami, and told the Raptors he’d accept sign-and-trades to those cities, sources told Broussard.

Unsure of James’ decision, the Nets have a Plan B in case he rejects their offer.

The agent for Knicks forward David Lee says the Nets have talked to him several times since free agency began on Thursday.

An official within the league who is very close to the Nets’ management team said the team would also consider going after Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer if James rejected the offer that was presented by new owner Mikhail Prokhorov and a team that included hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.

Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn said in a text message on Tuesday that there was nothing to report on the free-agency front.

Asked about the Nets’ options if The King nixes their overtures, Thorn wrote:

“We will look at other options if we don’t get one of the top guys.”

While James is the star attraction in this summer’s stacked class of free agents, other players have either stayed home or found a new one. On Monday, Amare Stoudemire agreed to a five-year deal with the Knicks and said he would continue to recruit James to join him.

Source: ESPN

The power forward and his agent met with team owner James Dolan earlier in the day to finalize the terms. Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, says the deal is for the maximum allowed. The deal can’t be signed until July 8.

“I feel great about being a pioneer and showing my leadership,” he said at Madison Square Garden, where signs throughout the entrances showed the player pictured in a Knicks uniform and reading “Welcome, Amare Stoudemire.”

New York has struggled the past few seasons and went 29-53. Stoudemire starred for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 23 points and nine rebounds.

The deal reunite him with current Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni. Stoudemire has spent his entire career in Phoenix, where he played for D’Antoni before the coach came to New York in 2008.

“Totally comfortable, totally confident that my leadership qualities will uplift all of us to do something great this upcoming season,” Stoudemire said. “So again, the Knicks are back.”

The New York Post reported that the deal is uninsurable because of Stoudemire’s past eye and knee injuries; Stoudemire had microfracture surgery on his left knee in November of 2005 and required surgery for a detached retina in 2009.

The agreement was a desperately needed score in free agency for the Knicks, who spent two seasons clearing enough salary cap space to afford two top players. They spoke to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh last week and believe they could still land one of them.

The big-name free agents could make their decisions this week, and perhaps they might take a second look at New York now that there’s another huge piece in place.

“No one wanted to make the first move and I feel confident enough to take that first step and hopefully now we can bring a few guys in to join me,” Stoudemire said.

The Knicks decided they no longer needed to wait on an answer from Bosh, especially because Stoudemire showed such a commitment to New York.

“I think to a degree the fact that Amar’e really wanted to come here, stepped up front, it got to the point where we had to acknowledge that and say that means something to us,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.

Walsh said Stoudemire’s arrival didn’t necessarily mean the end for David Lee, the Knicks’ own All-Star free agent who plays the same position. Lee could also be used in a sign-and-trade, though Walsh indicated he hadn’t received any good proposals in discussions with Lee’s agent.

Stoudemire has career averages of 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds and helped the Suns reach the Western Conference finals this season. D’Antoni called him “probably one of the best, if not the best finisher in the league” and dismissed the notion that their relationship was strained in Phoenix.

“We had no problem,” D’Antoni said. “I had four great years. The reason I have a very good contract in New York is Amar’e doing what he did for me. So I can’t have any animosity and don’t, and he was great.”

The team’s chartered plane landed Thursday in the small Bourget airport, where police guarded the tarmac to let the players disembark away from media and fans.

A heavy security presence allowed France’s players to avoid contact with fans and journalists.

Les Bleus were eliminated from the first round after a tournament in which they refused to attend a practice session, failed to win a match, and had striker Nicolas Anelka kicked off the team for insulting the coach, Raymond Domenech.

Domenech, who is retiring as coach, added yet more dismay by refusing to shake hands with rival coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after France’s 2-1 loss to host South Africa.

Star striker Thierry Henry, a former team captain and a 1998 World Cup champion who played only 52 minutes in two games in South Africa, joined a small motorcade sent by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Henry went to a private meeting with Sarkozy, entering the Elysee Palace by a side door and making no comment.

The soccer fiasco is taking an increasing political turn in France, where the leading sports daily L’Equipe had dubbed the debacle “A State Scandal.”

Sarkozy has vowed to personally investigate the matter. He met with prime minister Francois Fillon and sports minister Roselyne Bachelot on Wednesday to discuss ways to reform French soccer.

“The head of state asked the ministers to ensure that those responsible learn the lessons of this disaster quickly,” Sarkozy’s office said in a statement, implying that several managers from the team and federation could resign. “He also asked the ministers to ensure that no financial reward is given.”

Henry and some other team members have confirmed they aren’t taking any bonuses from the World Cup, including from private sponsors.

Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5322210/ce/us/france-returns-home-cops-let-slink-away?campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_5322210&cc=3888&ver=global

The Chelsea striker reportedly made obscene comments to Domenech at halftime during the 2-0 loss to Mexico on Thursday, and then refused to apologise when asked to do so by FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes

“Faced by the refusal of the player to publicly apologise, he (Escalettes) took the decision in total agreement with the coach and the official members of the delegation present in Knysna to exclude Nicolas Anelka from the squad,” the FFF said in a statement. “He will leave the French team camp this evening.”

The FFF said that France captain Patrice Evra was also present with Escalettes when the decision was taken, adding that Anelka’s comments are “totally unacceptable for the FFF, French football and the values it defends.”

Two unconvincing performances in the 0-0 draw with Uruguay and against Mexico had observers like former France defender Bixente Lizarazu furious at Anelka’s casual attitude.

“What bothers me is Nicolas Anelka’s performance in the first half. I saw a player strolling … strolling in the World Cup!” Lizarazu said. “He wasn’t aggressive, wasn’t interested in the game. Domenech took him off at the break, but should have done so before. You shouldn’t play in a selfish manner, you have to show you’re up for it.”

Like Eric Cantona before him, Anelka will now be remembered as one of the most controversial players to represent France, and one of the most talented but enigmatic ever to wear France’s blue shirt.

Cantona, who once kicked a spectator in England, also had a spell in the international wilderness after insulting France coach Henri Michel live on television after he was dropped for a friendly match against Czechoslovakia in 1988.

Cantona’s tirade against Michel kept him out of the France squad until Michel Platini recalled him a year later, while Anelka had an even longer spell out.

Anelka has long been an enigmatic player for France, scoring twice in a stunning performance against England way back in 1999, but then refused to play under coach Jacques Santini and spent three years out of the national team until Domenech called him back up in November, 2005.

Six months later, Domenech snubbed him for the 2006 squad. But Anelka seemed to have put that all of that behind him when he scored a deflected goal away to Ireland in the World Cup playoff last November.

Having won two English league and cup doubles, with Chelsea this season and with Arsenal 12 years ago, the Premier League’s Golden Boot in the 2008-09 season, the European Championship with France and the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2000, Anelka’s last-remaining ambition was to be a World Cup star.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Nicolas-Anelka-thrown-out-of-World-Cup-squad

According to Yahoo! Sports, the 44-year-old boxing great is eligible for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. But, that will have to wait … if he fights again.

Apparently, there’s a rumor that Tyson is planning a fight against another ’90s boxing great, Evander Holyfield, which would delay his induction into the hall … if it happens.

“There has been talk that Tyson will fight Evander Holyfield again, a match that shouldn’t happen but might because of the money involved,” Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole said.

Boxers are required to be retired for five years before being eligible, so the former heavyweight champion will should appear on the ballot for the first time next year.

His last fight was in 2005, against Kevin McBride, who stopped Tyson in the sixth round.

At the time of his retirement, Tyson had lost three out of his last four fights, and in each, didn’t appear to have enough stamina to go past two good rounds.

If the bout against Holyfield takes place, it will be the third time the boxing legends will face each other. Holyfield was declared the winner in their two previous fights, with the last ending in the now infamous ear biting incident.

While it’s assumed that it’d be a pay-per-view event, critics are questioning whether it’d be worth paying to see, since both are way past their primes.

Source:BallerStatus