ROME (AP):

Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres at the Golden Gala in Rome again this year as he prepares to defend three sprint titles at the London Olympics three months later.

Organisers of the May 31 meet announced the Jamaican's participation yesterday.

"I'm training hard, the off season has been good. Everything is going according to plan. The aim is to defend my Olympic titles in London," Bolt said in a statement provided by Rome organisers. "Rome's race will be a good early season test and tell me what I need to do on the way to the Olympic Games."

Bolt made his season debut in Rome last year, winning the 100 in 9.91 seconds to narrowly beat former world-record holder Asafa Powell.

Bolt has also confirmed he will run the 100 at another Diamond League meet in Oslo on June 7.

Rome is the first European meet of the Diamond League season, which opens in Doha, Qatar, on May 11. Another meet is scheduled in Shanghai on May 19, then Rome is the third stop.

Heats for the 100 at the London Games begin August 4. At the 2008 Beijing Games, Bolt swept the 100 and 200 sprints and helped Jamaica to gold in the 4x100 relay, all in world-record times. He then improved his 100 (9.58 seconds) and 200 (19.19) records at the 2009 world Cham-pionships in Berlin.

At last year's Worlds in Daegu, South Korea, Bolt was eliminated from the 100 final for a false start but he then won the 200 in 19.40 and helped Jamaica to another world record (37.04) in the relay.

Bolt has said he also wants to run the 4x400 in London and become the first male athlete since Carl Lewis at the 1984 Los Angeles Games to win four gold medals in track and field at the Olympics. Finland's Paavo Nurmi won five at the 1924 Paris Games.