Cedella Marley-photo Credit Rolo De Campo

The daughter of celebrated reggae icon Bob Marley, fashion designer Cedella Marley has been chosen to design the PUMA Jamaican Track and Field team’s Olympic, podium and ceremony wear for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The designs will be worn by the entire team, including three-time Jamaican Olympic gold medallist and fastest man in the world Usain Bolt – with Bolt endorsing the decision, saying that he can’t think of a better person to design Jamaica’s Olympic outfits than Cedella.

The collection will incorporate high tech fabrics and silhouettes engineered to enhance the performance of all the athletes. Cedella Marley’s unique designs have taken inspiration from the vibrant colours and patterns of Jamaica as well as its African roots, and are sure to make the world take notice in the Summer of 2012 – when the world will be watching Bolt in London to see if he will break his own record in the 100m and 200m.

A track runner in high school herself and huge fan of Jamaican athletics, Cedella says her role in creating the Olympic outfits for her home team and home team is an unbelievable honour and something she never dreamed would be possible.

Cedella Marley has been designing clothes since touring with Ziggy Marley and his band, made up of her brothers and sisters, The Melody Makers.

She launched the Catch A Fire brand in 2001,  her trademark tailored bohemian style with vivid colours and prints are available from top end department stores across the USA.

The 27 year old American sprinter won the British Grand Prix in Gateshead on Monday recording a time of 10.15 seconds,  after which he told reporters;

“I have been running on one leg. I’ll have a couple more meetings then I’ll go and get surgery. I really believe I can get back to my best.”

Gay has been trading records and medals with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt since before the Beijing Olympics and is determined to provide a genuine threat to the triple Olympic gold medallist.

Gay refers to Bolt as ‘a great competitor’ and says he is looking forward to competing with the Jamaican throughout the remainder of his career.

Bolt’s previous record of 19.30 seconds, was demolished in Berlin when the sprinter recorded a time of 19.19 for the 200 metre sprint event. The Jamaican finished well clear of the chasing pack with second place Alonso Edward finishing in 19.81 seconds.

Bolt celebrates his 23rd birthday today and you get the impression that there is an awful lot more to come from the sprinter who has taken another enormous stride towards his aim of becoming an athletics legend.

On the track Bolt is inspirational and off it his personality is infectious. After yesterdays record breaking run Bolt revealed:

“I can definitely say I didn’t expect that because I was a little bit tired. I said let’s try because people are really looking out for this, I said it won’t hurt to try. So I tried really hard and now I’m really tired. Maybe next time I should just run the 200m or the 100m alone. My form was going backwards. I wasn’t running upright. It wasn’t a good race but it was a fast one.”

Bolt becomes the first man to hold the 100m and 200m Olympic and World records at the same time and he says, “I did well for myself and I am on my way to becoming a legend so I am just happy.”

Watch Bolt smash the 200 metre record;

The 22 year old Jamaican was joined in the final of the 100 metres at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin by US rival Tyson Gay and Jamaican team mate Asafa Powell, who finished second and third respectively.

Defending champion Gay recording an American all time best for the distance of 9.71 seconds, while the former world record holder Powell could only manage 9.84 seconds.

Britain’s Dwain Chamberlain recorded a season best of 10.00 seconds and finished in sixth place.

Bolt and Gay could  face each other again in the final of the  200metres, the heats start on Tuesday, with current record holder Bolt installed as favourite. Gay is currently struggling with a groin injury so is not certain to be involved.

As well as an embarrasing moment when Bolt first appears in the press conference, the sprinter talks about the competition in this years Championships and his duel with rival USA World Champion Tyson Gay.

Bolt also gives his views on comments made by his team mate Asafa Powell recently, who accused British sprinters of being lazy.