• Athletics

Tax-free trip to London for Bolt

ESPN staff
February 7, 2013
Usain Bolt might compete again at the Olympic Stadium © PA Photos
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The government has paved the way for Usain Bolt to race in London this summer by granting all overseas athletes a tax amnesty.

Apart from at the Olympics, when there was also a tax amnesty, Bolt has not raced in Britain since 2009 and the chancellor George Osborne has made a one-off tax exemption for the London Grand Prix in July to encourage the world's top athletes to compete.

The athletics meeting is part of the Diamond League series and has been moved to the Olympic Stadium, from Crystal Palace, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the opening ceremony at London 2012.

Osborne told the Daily Telegraph that the decision to make overseas athletes exempt from tax was part of the government's commitment to the Olympic legacy.

"The government is determined to do everything possible to secure the Olympic legacy and I am delighted to grant this exemption," Osborne said.

Bolt is yet to confirm his attendance at the meeting. Given the proximity of the London Grand Prix to the World Championships in Moscow where Bolt has said he aims to win three gold medals, the Jamaican may still choose to prepare elsewhere but his agent stressed the London factor was tempting.

"I think it's about two weeks before the World Championships, which is quite late, but it's London and it's the Olympic Stadium again so it obviously has an attraction," Ricky Simms said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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