Usain Bolt Replaces Yannick Noah As Trophy Presenter

Written by: on 7th June 2013
Golden Gala meeting in Rome
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: , , , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.