Usain Bolt Replaces Yannick Noah As Trophy Presenter

Written by: Staff on 7th June 2013

Usain Bolt Replaces Yannick Noah As Trophy Presenter

epa03734018 Jamaican Usain Bolt competes in the men's 100 metres race at the Compeed Golden Gala meeting (Diamond League event) at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Italy, 06 June 2013. US Justin Gatlin won the race and Bolt placed second. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI |

Although this is the 30th anniversary of Yannick Noah becoming the last French man to win the French Open title, and he has been at Roland Garros this week, the French Federation de Tennis have avoided a potential frosty incident with seven times champion Rafael Nadal and appointed Olympic and world record holding sprinter Usain Bolt to present the trophy after Sunday’s men’s final.

Should Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win today’s semi-final and go on to succeed Noah, it would have been a perfect presentation ceremony. But for Noah to present the trophy to Nadal, following his widely reported comments about Spanish sportsmen and their alleged use of performance enhancing drugs, would have been too awkward to contemplate.

Three-time French Open winner Arantxa Sanchez Vicario will present the women’s trophy tomorrow (Saturday) to the winner of the Serena Williams v Maria Sharapova final so there is no problem there.

But in November 2011, Nadal branded Noah’s comments, printed in his first person column in the newspaper Le Monde, as stupid after the Frenchman said the best way to combat doping was to legalize the use of drugs and accused Spanish sport in particular of using “magic potions”.

Noah wrote: “Let’s stop the hypocrisy. The best attitude to adopt is to accept doping. Then everyone will have the magic potion.”

Nadal responded by saying: “To say that is a totally stupid thing because you know how many anti-doping controls we are having during all the season year by year.”

Spain’s Olympic Committee president, Alejandro Blanco, said: “It is difficult for ignorant people to understand the boom of Spanish sport. It is hard work that has been the key to success.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: French Open, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Sports, Tennis News, Usain Bolt, Yannick Noah

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls.com says:

June 7, 2013 at 8:39 am

Usain Bolt Replaces Yannick Noah As Trophy Presenter – https://archive.10sballs.com/?p=87817
LionelMaltese says:

June 9, 2013 at 7:12 am

RT @Prof_Chadwick: French Open Final tinged with doping-related controversy with Bolt replacing Noah as presenter of trophy to winner: http…