Relays take on Olympic proportions

Fans attending the 2010 Penn Relays Saturday will be seeing stars.

Yesterday, USA Track and Field announced the relay pools for the USA vs. The World events, which includes several famous Olympians.

World’s fastest man Usain Bolt will be joined by Asafa Powell and Michael Frater to lead a 4x100-meter Jamaican relay unit comprised of the second, third and anchor legs of the 2008 Olympic Gold medal team.

Team Jamaica will have to overcome a talented international field in its quest for victory in the 4x100m. Its toughest challenge will likely be a Trinidad and Tobago team that also brings three of its four sprinters from the Beijing unit — a squad that earned a silver medal, finishing just under one second behind the world-record setting Jamaican team.

And don’t count out the United States either. The Americans are ready to defend their first-place finish in last year’s event with an equally star-studded team.

Three-time Olympic medalist Shawn Crawford will join forces with 2008 Olympic 100m and 200m bronze medalist Walter Dix, 2004 Olympic 4x100m gold medalist Darvis Patton and reigning USA Indoor and Outdoor champion Mike Rodgers.

The field is just as talented on the women’s side.

The United States squad that includes Carmelita Jones — the second-fastest women in history — and Allyson Felix, a three-time World 200-meter champion, will have to overcome a big Jamaican hurdle if it hopes to defend its title.

Team Jamaica features three of its four sprinters from the gold-medal team at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. Reigning Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser will be joined by silver medalist Kerron Stewart and Simone Facey.

With so much talent in both the men’s and women’s 4x100 meter relay events, history could be made at Franklin Field Saturday night.

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