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STOCKHOLM

Powell pulls out of Stockholm sprint clash

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has been forced to withdraw from the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League on Friday due to a groin injury.

Powell pulls out of Stockholm sprint clash
Asafa Powell (centre) pulls out of Stockholm sprint clash

Powell was due to take part in a face off against fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt, the world and Olympic champion and world record holder, as well as American Tyson Gay in a mouthwatering 100 metres.

However a groin injury picked up during the Paris meet on July 16th, which prevented him from training for 10 days, as well as several other injury niggles, has hampered his plans to compete in Sweden.

Powell, the former 100m world record holder, said: “I’m really upset. I was looking forward to challenging Usain and Tyson and was hoping that I would be in the race with a solid chance to win.

“But with the way I’ve been feeling it would be difficult to finish the race.”

Bolt, Powell and Gay have not competed against each other since the final of the world championships in Berlin a year ago, where Bolt shaved 0.11sec off his world record of 9.69sec from the Beijing Olympics.

In Germany Bolt set a new time of 9.58, with Gay in second (9.71) and Powell third at 9.84.

At the Paris leg of the Diamond League Bolt confirmed his status as the fastest man over 100m setting a time of 9.84 to beat Powell (9.91).

Stockholm is the 11th leg in the 14-event Diamond League series and Powell’s absence has left Bolt and Gay in a scintillating duel for the event’s 100m crown.

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STOCKHOLM

Stockholm Pride is a little different this year: here’s what you need to know 

This week marks the beginning of Pride festivities in the Swedish capital. The tickets sold out immediately, for the partly in-person, partly digital events. 

Pride parade 2019
There won't be a Pride parade like the one in 2019 on the streets of Stockholm this year. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

You might have noticed rainbow flags popping up on major buildings in Stockholm, and on buses and trams. Sweden has more Pride festivals per capita than any other country and is the largest Pride celebration in the Nordic region, but the Stockholm event is by far the biggest.  

The Pride Parade, which usually attracts around 50,000 participants in a normal year, will be broadcast digitally from Södra Teatern on August 7th on Stockholm Pride’s website and social media. The two-hour broadcast will be led by tenor and debater Rickard Söderberg.

The two major venues of the festival are Pride House, located this year at the Clarion Hotel Stockholm at Skanstull in Södermalm, and Pride Stage, which is at Södra Teatern near Slussen.

“We are super happy with the layout and think it feels good for us as an organisation to slowly return to normal. There are so many who have longed for it,” chairperson of Stockholm Pride, Vix Herjeryd, told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

Tickets are required for all indoor events at Södra Teatern to limit the number of people indoors according to pandemic restrictions. But the entire stage programme will also be streamed on a big screen open air on Mosebacketerassen, which doesn’t require a ticket.  

You can read more about this year’s Pride programme on the Stockholm Pride website (in Swedish). 

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