DUCKING DE GRASSE?

Coach of Canadian sprinter says Jamaican star ‘deserves the right’ to choose the field

A rusty Usain Bolt wants to warm up for worlds without facing his Canadian rival,

The world championships in London will be the final meeting between Andre De Grasse and Usain Bolt. The Jamaican superstar made sure of that.

There were talks of De Grasse racing the 100 metres at Friday’s Diamond League meet in Monaco, but when Bolt’s management asked that he be added to the field, any potential invitation to De Grasse was nixed.

“The fastest guy in the world gets to choose the field,” said De Grasse’s coach Stuart McMillan. “But I don’t blame him at all. This is his last year, he’s only raced twice. I totally understand that he doesn’t want to increase the pressure prior to worlds.

“If anyone deserves the right to choose the field, it’s Bolt.”

De Grasse, who has won his last four Diamond League races over both the100 and 200 metres, will run as part of a Canadian 4x100-metre relay there.

Prestigious international meets, such as the Diamond League series, rarely feature all the world’s top sprinters — meet organizers simply can’t afford it because of the appearance fees the athletes are paid.

De Grasse captured three Olympic medals last summer in Rio, a silver behind Bolt in the 200 and bronze in the 100 and 4x100 relays, and many have touted the 22-year-old from Markham, Ont., as Bolt’s heir apparent.

The 30-year-old Bolt will retire after the world championships, and De Grasse has said he’d love to beat the world-record holder before he calls it a career.

The Jamaican will only run the 100 and 4x100 relay at the worlds, while De Grasse will also run the 200.

Bolt hasn’t lost a race in four years.