Bolt to tune up for worlds with London 100 meters

Usain Bolt of Jamaica (L) sprints to the finish line to win the men's 100m race event ahead of compatriot Asafa Powell at the IAAF Golden League Memorial Van Damme athletics meeting in Brussels September 5, 2008.

LONDON (Reuters) - Triple Olympic sprint champion and world record holder Usain Bolt will fine-tune his world championship preparations by running the 100 meters at the London Grand Prix in July, organizers said on Monday.

Bolt took gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in Beijing last year, all in world record time, and the 22-year-old Jamaican has confirmed that he will go over the shorter distance at the two-day London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on July 24/25, three weeks before the world championships in Berlin.

"London is a great meet and the fans there really get behind everyone," Bolt said in a statement.

"I normally base myself there during the summer so it is like a second home. As usual there will be strong competition but I guess that's what I'll need ahead of the world championships."

Last year Bolt warmed up for his Olympic feats by running a 19.76 second 200 meters at Crystal Palace, the fastest 200m ever run in Britain.

"To win there in such style gave me a lot of pleasure. That helped to build my confidence toward achieving the three gold medals in Beijing a few weeks later," he said.

Bolt will also run in England on May 17 when he goes over 150 meters in a street race in Manchester.

(Editing by Justin Palmer; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)