Sprint superstar Usain Bolt has been named in the Jamaican Olympic team for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games next month.

There had been some concern over Bolt's participation after he suffered a hamstring tear that forced him to withdraw from the Jamaican Olympic trials. However, he has been granted a place on the team after his application for a medical exemption was approved by the Jamaican Olympic Association on Monday (11 July), as reported by Reuters.

Bolt, who won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games – and holds the 100m and 200m world records – has been recovering from his injury in Germany, where he is receiving treatment from sports doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolfahrt.

After posting a photo of himself back in training on Instagram on Sunday (10 July), Bolt appears to be well on his way to recovery. He also posted a video on Twitter telling fans not to worry as he would compete at the London Anniversary Games on 22 July as he prepares for Rio 2016.

Bolt is now set for an Olympic showdown with American rival Justin Gatlin, who recently ran the fastest 100m time of the year at the US Olympic trials. Gatlin and his compatriot LaShawn Merritt have also qualified for the 200m, setting up another mammoth showdown with Bolt in that event.

Bolt and three other Jamaican athletes, including 110m hurdles bronze medallist Hansle Parchment, were included in the Olympic team after receiving medical exemptions from the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).

History makers

Jamaica will bring 63 athletes to the Rio 2016 Games, its biggest ever Olympic delegation. Fifty-nine of them will compete in track and field, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who will seek to win a third consecutive 100m title and also be part of the 4x100m relay team. Among the other big names are three-time Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (who will compete in the 200m and 4x100m relay); London 2012 100m and 200m silver medallist Yohan Blake (who will run in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m) and former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell (who will be part of the 4x100m relay team).

See the full list of Jamaican athletes for Rio 2016

Fraser-Pryce also won silvers in the 200m and 4x100m relay at London 2012 (Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer)

The Caribbean nation will be represented in gymnastics for the first time, by Toni-Ann Williams, while Alia Atkinson and Timothy Wynter have been entered in swimming and Yona Knight-Wisdom will also be making history as the country’s first male Olympic diver. 

The Jamaican roster was submitted ahead of the 18 July deadline for preliminary entries, but final changes can still be made.

Yona Knight-Wisdom qualified for Rio 2016 at the test event in February (Photo: Getty Images/ Buda Mendes)

Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.