Bolt races on US track for first time since 2008
PHILADELPHIA, USA — Sprint superstar Usain Bolt will represent one of two Jamaican 4x100m relay teams in the US vs The World series at the 116th Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania today.
The Jamaican track phenomenon will be making his first appearance on an American track since breaking the 100m world record at the Reebok Classic in New York in 2008.
For the first time, Jamaica will have two teams in the men’s sprint relays and will go up against two American teams, two Canadian teams, and teams from the Bahamas, Germany and Trinidad and Tobago.
The series, which started in 2000, has been a great success story at the Penn Relays and Jamaican teams have won eight races, six among the women, including the last two Sprint Medley Relays.
The women also won the 4x100m twice, the now discontinued 4x200m and the 4x400m, while the men have won the 4x100m and the 4x400m.
Bolt, who holds the world records for the 100m and 200m events, will join Racers Track Club teammates Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake and Marvin Anderson on the Jamaica ‘Black’, while the Jamaica ‘Yellow’ team will have Olympic Games relay gold medallists Nesta Carter and Michael Frater, Xavier Brown and Dwight Thomas.
The female Jamaican team — of national record holder and Olympic and world champions Shelly-Ann Fraser; World Championships relay gold medallist Simone Facey; Olympic 100m silver medallists Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson — will go up against two American squads, the Bahamas, Germany, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.
The team to defend the women’s Sprint Medley Relay title should come from Schillone Calvert, Stewart, Melaine Walker and Rose Marie White, while Kenia Sinclair is certain to anchor the 800m leg.
Jamaica will also take part in both mile relays and the pool of the men’s runners includes Lanceford Davis, Ricardo Chambers, Germaine Gonzales, Edino Steele and Dwaine Barrett.
The squad for the women will be Novelene Williams Mills, Shericka Williams, White, Melaine Walker and Kaleise Spencer.
