Gay, Gatlin test Paris waters

Gay and Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion coming back from a doping ban, have both qualified for the US team for the July 27-August 12 Games, coming through unscathed from their notoriously tough national trials in Eugene last week.

And Lemaitre, 22, arrives on the back of having sealed his second European 100m title.

But Gay, the US national record holder and second fastest man of all-time at 9.68sec, said he was confident heading towards the London Games after a slow return from a hip injury that required surgery.

"I feel pretty good, considering I came back and made the team. I was under a lot of stress, mentally and physically, early in the season, but I feel a lot better now," said the double sprint champion from the 2007 Osaka worlds.

"In March I didn't even know if I was going to be able to go to the trials, I was in so much pain. But then after running a few races I was feeling a lot better."

Lemaitre, French record holder in the 100m (9.92), said it would be tough coming back into competition after the Europeans in Helsinki.

"I went home and did a few training sessions and I feel good," he said.

"But it's very special for me to run in front of a French crowd."

Apart from Lemaitre, home fans will also delight in seeing Renaud Lavillenie in the pole vault, fresh from defending his European title in Helsinki.

Lavillenie will be up against German rival Bjorn Otto, and fans can only hope that the duo reproduce that classic of a competition in the Finnish capital.

On that night, the Frenchman held his nerve at 5.97m as gamesmanship over vaulting heights increased, the German left to take home silver, albeit with a new personal best of 5.92m.

Seven other recently-crowned European champions will be on show, including German shot putter David Storl, also the reigning world champion, who will be up against a raft of the best US throwers.