USA followed in the footsteps of their female counterparts on Saturday and shaved 0.06 off the world record* in the men's distance medley with a time of 9:15.50 on the second day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.The team of &nbsp;Kyle Merber (1200m), Brycen Spratling (400m), Brandon Johnson (800m) and Ben Blankenship (1600m) improved on the nine-year-old record of Kenya, the win and the record thanks in no small part to an outstanding last leg by Blankenship in 3:51.24.Blankenship took over just in front of Kenya and Australia with four laps to go but was almost a second-and-a half outside the world record pace at that point.He then saw Kenyan's experienced Timothy Cheriuyot got pass him 200 metres into the first lap and quickly establish a 20-metre lead, as the Kenyan sped through his first 400m in 51.96, but the American held his never and started to reel in his rival.By the bell, Blankenship was on the shoulder of Cheriuyot and then passed him on the final bend before visibly gritting his teeth down the home straight, well-aware that Cheriuyot was going through the pain barrier as well as both men could see what was happening on the big stadium screen in front of them.Blankenship, racing in his first major international competition, had enough in the tank to complete his last lap in 56.80 though to go into new territory for the event as the flagging Cheriuyot brought Kenya home 20 metres in arrears in second place, clocking 9:17.20.The American later revealed that he had not been watching the clock over the final metres but had resisted the urge to celebrate before crossing the line, a gesture which could potentially have denied the US team the record and the US$50,000 bonus.Australia, having been just a stride or so behind the USA and Kenya at the change, took the bronze medals in 9:21.62; their last leg runner Collis Birmingham being better known these days for his feats over longer distances and not having enough speed in his legs to hold onto Blankenship and Cheriuyot from 600 metres out.Six teams finished, including Papua New Guinea, whose anchor leg runner George Yamak was lapped by all five teams in front of him but who was sportingly cheered all round his solitary last lap by the sporting home crowd. Phil Minshull for the IAAF*subject to the usual ratification procedures

USA shaved 0.06 off the world record* in the men's distance medley with a time of 9:15.50 on the second day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.

Men's distance medley – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

The fact that USA successfully defended their 4x800m title at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 wasn&rsquo;t a surprise. But their margin of victory was quite a shock &ndash; not least to their opponents.Their winning time of 8:00.62 took almost a second off the competition best and area record they set last year. It was also the fastest time in the world in this event for more than 20 years.World indoor champion Chanelle Price got things underway, going through the first lap in 57.73 before being caught by Cuba&rsquo;s Rose Mary Almanza. Price clocked a 2:01.30 split to Almanza&rsquo;s 2:00.45, but Cuba&rsquo;s lead did not last long.Maggie Vessey then took up the running for the USA and shot into the lead. Her split of 2:00.92 gave the USA a three-second lead at the half-way point. At this stage, Canada had moved into second with Australia third and Poland fourth.On the third leg, Molly Beckwith-Ludlow produced the first sub-two-minute split of the race, clocking 1:59.50 to give anchor leg runner Alysia Montano a five-second buffer going into the final stage.Not that she needed it. The 2010 world indoor bronze medallist ran a slightly over-zealous first 400m of 54.95 but still recorded the fastest split of the race, clocking 1:58.90 to bring the USA home in 8:00.62.Poland held off a back-straight challenge from Australia to finish second in a national record of 8:11.36. Australia finished one place higher than they did last year, taking third in 8:13.97.There were national records for Cuba in fourth with 8:15.84 and Jamaica in fifth with 8:16.04.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

The fact that USA successfully defended their 4x800m title at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 wasn’t a surprise. But their margin of victory was quite a shock – not least to their opponents.

Women’s 4x800m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

There may have been world records and shock defeats in other events, but the women&rsquo;s 4x200m was the most dramatic final on the first day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.Pre-event favourites USA looked to be on course to successfully defend their title from last year, after Shalonda Solomon, Kimberlyn Duncan and Jeneba Tarmoh had built up a comfortable lead on the first three legs.But then disaster struck on the final changeover between Tarmoh and Allyson Felix. The Olympic 200m champion couldn&rsquo;t quite get a solid grip on the baton as Tarmoh then bumped into her before Felix fell to the ground, their medal hopes dashed.There was drama too for the host nation as their second changeover was well outside of the zone. The Bahamas carried on and eventually crossed the line in second place, but they were soon disqualified.It meant that Nigeria were the surprise victors, winning in 1:30.52 to take two seconds off the national record they set earlier this year. World bronze medallist Blessing Okagbare led the team off before the baton was passed to Regina George, Dominique Duncan and Christy Udoh.Jamaica finished a distant second in 1:31.73, one-and-a-half seconds slower than their time from last year, but one place higher on the podium.Germany were third in 1:33.61 while China set an Asian record of 1:34.89 in fourth.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

There may have been world records and shock defeats in other events, but the women’s 4x200m was the most dramatic final on the first day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.

Women’s 4x200m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

The US quartet of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey did what so many of their predecessors have failed to do in this event on the big occasion in recent years, get the baton round cleanly, and that allowed them the opportunity to inflict a morale-boosting defeat on the favoured Jamaicans, the US team winning in 37:38.It was the equal-seventh fastest performance in history and a time only other US and Jamaican teams have ever beaten. Indeed, the only time a US team has run faster was at the 2012 Olympics.Jamaica was left trailing in the wake of the US runners from midway down the back straight and the 2014 World Relays winners were left to settle for second on this occasion in 37.68, also inside the previous competition record.He remains a polarising figure in the sport but Justin Gatlin has to be given credit for delivering the win with a blistering second leg, pulling away from Jamaica&rsquo;s Kemar Bailey-Cole almost immediately after the first exchange and then putting a huge margin between himself and the rest of the field.Tyson Gay consolidated the US lead around the bend and handed around five metres in front to Ryan Bailey. Even for a sprinter of the stunning talent of Usain Bolt, this was too big a margin to make up and though he reduced the deficit by a metre or so, in the end the world and Olympic 100m and 200m champion was a minor player in this drama.Almost unnoticed, Japan showed off their slick baton passing skills, after being given a great start by their lead-off runner Kazuma Oseto, and came through for a slightly unexpected bronze medal in 38.20. However, all eight finalist went away with a prize from Nassau; automatic qualification for this event to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.The USA had shown that they would be the team to beat when they won their heat in 37.87, despite a slightly ragged handover from Gay to Bailey.By contrast, Jamaica won their heat in what for them was a relatively modest 38.07, with Bolt easing down over the final 10 metres on the anchor leg. Great Britain, third in 2014, made a surprise departure in a rather loaded second heat, with the first two changeovers being far from perfect, and despite world indoor and European indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty making up ground on the last leg. They finished fourth but didn&rsquo;t progress to the main final.They got a small amount of consolation by winning the B-final, with some poor changeovers in evidence once again, but Kilty ran strongly on the final leg to bring them home in front in 38.67, just edging Barbados' Mario Burke over the final 10 metres, the latter anchoring the Caribbean island to a national record of 38.70.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

The US quartet of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey did what so many of their predecessors have failed to do in this event in recent years, get the baton round cleanly, and that allowed them the opportunity to inflict a morale-boosting defeat on the favoured Jamaicans, the US team winning in 37:38.

Men's 4x100m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

USA could have taken it easy in the heats of the women&rsquo;s
4x400m at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 as they looked to defend
their title from last year.But instead they clocked a world-leading 3:24.05 to lead the
qualifiers by more than two seconds, helped by a 49.74 split from Phyllis
Francis.They were in action in the third and final heat and Olympic
bronze medallist Deedee Trotter gave them an early lead before passing on to
Natasha Hastings. They already had a two-second lead at halfway, but the real
damage was done by Francis on the third leg.Jessica Beard then had the luxury of a four-second lead
before setting off on her anchor leg and she crossed the line in 3:24.05, more
than six seconds ahead of Poland (3:30.32).Jamaica were comfortable winners of the second heat in
3:26.41, what was a world-leading mark before the USA bettered it just moments
later. Great Britain also automatically qualified for the final with their
3:28.51 clocking in second place.In the first heat, Australia held off a fast-finishing
Floria Guei of France on the final leg to win in 3:30.73. Guei&rsquo;s 50.77 split
brought them home in 3:30.95 to grab a place in tomorrow&rsquo;s final.Jon Mulkeen for the
IAAF

USA could have taken it easy in the heats of the women’s 4x400m at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 as they looked to defend their title from last year.

Women’s 4x400m round 1 – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

USA smashed the world record* in the women's distance medley with a time of 10:36.50 on the first day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.The team of Treniere Moser (1200m), Sanya Richards-Ross (400m), Ajee Wilson (800m) and Shannon Rowbury (1600m) took more than six seconds off the previous mark of 10:42.57 that was set indoors earlier this year by a different US team.The first leg looked to be more tactical in the beginning with none of the athletes willing to lead as the first lap was covered in just 69 seconds. But the pace had picked up by the end of the 1200m section, with France leading the USA, 3:18.11 to 3:18.38.The slow first lap meant the teams were a few seconds outside world record pace, but a 50.12 clocking from Richards-Ross on the 400m leg put them back on course.Wilson then ran a solo 2:00.08 for the 800m leg and Rowbury then increased their lead, which was already substantial, to bring the baton home in 10:36.50, covering the final four laps in 4:27.92.In second, Kenya set an African record of 10:43.35 while Poland broke the European record with 10:45.32 in third place.Another area record was set in fourth place with Australia clocking an Oceania best of 10:46.94. Early leaders France faded as the race progressed and they eventually finished sixth behind Germany, both teams taking more than 11 minutes to cover the 10 laps.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF*Subject to the usual ratification procedures.

USA smashed the world record* in the women's distance medley with a time of 10:36.50 on the first day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015.

Women's distance medley – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

The first gold medal of the IAAF/BTC World Relays went to the USA whose quartet exuded confidence throughout the race to cross the line in 7:04:84.The opening lap saw Duane Solomon and Kenya&rsquo;s teenage talent Alfred Kipketer handover almost simultaneously, the pair running 1:47.60 and 1:47.62 respectively, but the crucial move came with just under 200 metres to go on the second leg when Erik Sowinski went past Kenya&rsquo;s inexperienced Nicholas Kipkoech and gave the USA a lead that they never relinquished.Sowinski handed over the baton to Casimir Loxsom 20 metres ahead of the Kenyans and despite the presence of Olympic bronze medallist Timothy Kitum on the third leg, last year&rsquo;s winners lost further ground as Loxsom ran a outstanding 1:45.59 leg.Robby Andrews initially stretched the lead out to 25 metres over the first 400m of the final leg before Jeremiah Mutai closed the gap down the final back straight.But Mutai had been too audacious, running 48.07 for the first lap of his stint, and while Andrews was clearly tiring down the final 100 metres, looking up at the stadium screen he had been gauging his effort more assiduously and pulled away once more, eventually timed at 1:46.90 for his leg.In fact, the flagging Mutai was almost caught by Poland&rsquo;s fast-finishing European 800m champion Adam Kszczot.However, after finishing just a few metres behind Kenya, Poland were eventually to take second in 7:09:98 as, shortly after the conclusion of the race, Kenya were disqualified because the exchange between the luckless Kipkoech and Kitum had been completed just before the changeover zone.Having been a distant and isolated fourth for the last two legs, Australia found themselves promoted to an unexpected place on the podium, taking third in 7:16.30.Mexico were the only other finishers in fourth place with 7:22.61.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

The first gold medal of the IAAF/BTC World Relays went to the USA whose quartet exuded confidence throughout the race to cross the line in 7:04:84.

Men's 4x800m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

It was third time lucky for the first race of the IAAF/BTC World Relays as, after two faulty starts, the eagerly awaited competition finally got under way in rousing fashion as hosts The Bahamas came through as the winners of the first heat in 3:02.18.The 2014 World Relays silver medallists were challenged all the way by Brazil, who came home second in 3:02.23, put in contention after an outstanding opening leg by Pedro Luiz da Oliveira who was running blind throughout the entire race out in lane eight.However, apart from briefly on the third leg, with The Bahamas fielding Alonzo Russell who may be replaced in the final by Chris Brown, the host nation controlled proceedings from the front and there was little doubt who would go through as the two automatic qualifiers for Sunday&rsquo;s final, the hosts led home by their Olympic hero Ramon Miller.The second heat was a much more competitive affair, despite the fact that the USA took a gun-to-tape victory in 3:02.81.None of the Americans ever had more than a metre or so advantage as all sorts of drama unfolded behind them.After good second and third legs by Teddy Atine-Venel and Thomas Jordier, France lay second at the final changeover but Botswana&rsquo;s African 400m record-holder Isaac Makwala quickly overtook Mamoudou Hanne.Makwala looked set to take Botswana through to the final but Jamaica&rsquo;s inspired Javon Francis went through a selection of gears over the final 50 metres, flying home like a javelin, to go from fourth to second and take Jamaica through to the final in 3:02.81, where they will hope to atone for last year&rsquo;s mishap when they dropped the baton.Francis was timed for his leg in a stunning 44.01. Botswana clocked 3:03.08, which was quick enough to see them through as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers.The third heat went to form with Trinidad and Tobago winning in the quickest heat time of 3:02.09, pressed all the way by Belgium, who took second in 3:02.41.George Caddick maintained Great Britain's third place position on the last leg to see them through to the final in 3:03.28.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

It was third time lucky for the first race of the IAAF/BTC World Relays as, after two faulty starts, the eagerly awaited competition finally got under way in rousing fashion as hosts The Bahamas came through as the winners of the first heat in 3:02.18.

Men's 4x400m round 1 – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

The IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 gets under way on Saturday (2) in Nassau, and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website.The IAAF website will bring you <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/timetable" target="_blank">live results</a>, <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/team-standings" target="_blank">team standings</a> and up-to-the-minute updates on our live blog and <a href="https://twitter.com/iaaforg">IAAF twitter account</a>.Or if you&rsquo;re on the go, you can download the IAAF app (available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/IAAF-IAAF-org/dp/B00ECCJL66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1393595528&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=iaaf">Amazon appstore</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.iaaf.applications.IAAF&amp;hl=en">Google Play</a> or the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/iaaf.org/id681225974?l=en&amp;mt=8">App Store</a>) to keep updated on all the results from Nassau.Following our <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/news/preview" target="_blank">event-by-event previews</a>, there will also be <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/news/report" target="_blank">reports for every event</a> and a <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/multimedia" target="_blank">host of images</a> added to the site.If you can&rsquo;t follow the action via your local TV station, you can listen to the <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/radio/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676">IAAF Radio</a> throughout the competition.And there&rsquo;s more.There are videos capturing the build up to this weekend's action and there will be plenty of post-race reaction on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/IAAF2012" target="_blank">IAAF Official YouTube channel</a>.<div>SPIKES &ndash; through <a href="https://twitter.com/spikesmag">Twitter</a>, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthleticsClub">IAAF World Athletics Club on Facebook</a>, and its <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/spikes">home on the IAAF website</a> &ndash; will add an extra dimension to the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 coverage, unearthing stories that you&rsquo;d never hear anywhere else.</div>You can also <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/country/all" target="_blank">follow your chosen country</a> throughout the competition. Simply bookmark them, and then the tab along the top of every competition page will keep you updated on their progress.In the <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaafbtc-world-relays-bahamas-2015-5676/athletes" target="_blank">athletes section</a>, you can filter all the entrants by name, country, discipline or gender.There&rsquo;s also the <a href="http://dt9guucc6nuua.cloudfront.net/competitioninfo/8a2296a9-85a3-48f5-bba5-0130913731d6.pdf" target="_blank">IAAF World Relays Facts and Figures PDF</a>, which contains all the relay-related information you will ever need to know.If that&rsquo;s still not quite enough information, you can download <a href="http://dt9guucc6nuua.cloudfront.net/competitioninfo/2b7af810-4e37-43da-b4f2-e0f1d6908da5.pdf" target="_blank">in-depth biographies</a> &ndash; compiled by noted athletics statistician Mark Butler &ndash; of all the athletes set to compete in Nassau.IAAF

The IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 gets under way on Saturday (2) in Nassau, and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website.

How to follow the action – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

<a href="#FR">Fran&ccedil;ais</a>IAAF President Lamine Diack was received at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas by the incumbent Perry G. Christie on Friday (1). The IAAF were thanked by the Prime Minister for bringing the IAAF / BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015, to the country, whose success had firmly established athletics as the nation&rsquo;s leading sport in the hearts of Bahamians. President Diack was given the freedom of the city of Nassau by the Prime Minister and was also presented with a ceremonial key to the city to mark the occasion. There was an exchange of gifts between the Prime Minister and President Diack. The agreement between the government and the IAAF which will see The Bahamas host the 2017 IAAF World Relays was also formally signed. The third edition of the event will officially become part of the IAAF World Athletics Series that year. Among those also in attendance was Dr Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, IAAF Council Member Pauline Davis-Thompson, also from The Bahamas, and IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel. Later in the day, following a short scenic ferry ride across the harbour from the meeting HQ at the Atlantis Hotel, Nassau, guests of the IAAF and LOC enjoyed the official dinner in Luciano's of Chicago. At the beginning of the evening President Diack presented LOC Vice Chairman and CEO Mike Sands with an Honorary IAAF Plaque.IAAF<hr /><a name="FR"></a><h3>Pr&eacute;sident Diack re&ccedil;u par le Premier ministre des Bahamas</h3> Le pr&eacute;sident de l'IAAF, Lamine Diack, a &eacute;t&eacute; re&ccedil;u au cabinet du Premier ministre des Bahamas, Perry G. Christie, ce vendredi (1).Le Premier ministre a remerci&eacute; l'IAAF pour son organisation des Relais mondiaux de l'IAAF/BTC, Bahamas 2015 dans le pays, soulignant que le succ&egrave;s de la manifestation a contribu&eacute; &agrave; &eacute;tablir fermement l'athl&eacute;tisme en tant que premier sport dans le c&oelig;ur des Baham&eacute;ens. Le Premier ministre a d&eacute;cern&eacute; au Pr&eacute;sident Diack les cl&eacute;s de la ville de Nassau, et lui a remis &agrave; cette occasion une cl&eacute; c&eacute;r&eacute;moniale de la capitale des Bahamas.Les deux dignitaires ont proc&eacute;d&eacute; &agrave; un &eacute;change de cadeaux comm&eacute;moratifs de l'occasion. L'accord formel conclu entre le gouvernement des Bahamas et l'IAAF portant sur l'organisation de l'&eacute;dition 2017 des Relais mondiaux a &eacute;t&eacute; sign&eacute; lors de cette r&eacute;union. La troisi&egrave;me &eacute;dition de la manifestation int&eacute;grera officiellement, cette ann&eacute;e-l&agrave;, la S&eacute;rie mondiale de l'athl&eacute;tisme de l'IAAF.Parmi les invit&eacute;s de marque pr&eacute;sents &agrave; cette rencontre &eacute;taient notamment le docteur Daniel Johnson, ministre de la Jeunesse, des sports et de la culture, la membre du Conseil de l'IAAF, Pauline Davis-Thompson - elle-m&ecirc;me des Bahamas - et le secr&eacute;taire g&eacute;n&eacute;ral de l'IAAF, Essar Gabriel.Dans la soir&eacute;e, apr&egrave;s une br&egrave;ve travers&eacute;e en ferry, offrant des vues magnifiques sur le port, depuis le centre de r&eacute;unions de l'H&ocirc;tel Atlantis de Nassau, les invit&eacute;s de l'IAAF et du Comit&eacute; d'organisation local (COL) &eacute;taient convi&eacute;s &agrave; un d&icirc;ner officiel organis&eacute; au restaurant "Luciano's of Chicago". Avant le repas, le Pr&eacute;sident Diack a remis une Plaque honoraire de l'IAAF &agrave; Mike Sands, vice-pr&eacute;sident et directeur g&eacute;n&eacute;ral du COL des Relais mondiaux.IAAF

IAAF President Lamine Diack was received at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas by the incumbent Perry G. Christie on Friday (1). 

President Diack received by the Prime Minister of The Bahamas

Much of the attention at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 this weekend (2-3) will be on the Jamaican superstar sprinter Usain Bolt, and the reigning world and Olympic 100m and 200m champion was joined by The Bahamas&rsquo;s Chris Brown and Great Britain&rsquo;s Richard Kilty at the traditional pre-event press conference on Friday (1).Below are the edited highlights of the question-and-answer session with the three men.<h3>Usain Bolt (JAM)</h3>Q: What do you have in store for the weekend?A: I&rsquo;ve been training really hard and putting in the work. I enjoy the relays, I&rsquo;ve been looking forward to this. Track and field is an individual sport so any time I can run a relay, that&rsquo;s always fun. It&rsquo;s very relaxing, and I know me and my team mates are going to put on a great show. We lost against the US at the Penn Relays so it&rsquo;s now like a showdown. Q: If the opportunity arose and you were offered a spot in the 4x400m at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, would you accept it?A: Definitely not this year. I&rsquo;m focused on defending my titles and I think, for me, a 4x400m would be too much. I&rsquo;ll pass on that one.Q: The Bahamians nicknamed you &lsquo;Lightning Bolt&rsquo; after your performances at the 2002 Carifta Games; do you feel at home here?A: You guys keep reminding me that you were the ones that named me that! It&rsquo;s always great to compete in front of a Caribbean crowd, whenever I compete anywhere in the Caribbean it&rsquo;s like being at home. I get so much love. It&rsquo;s going to be great to compete here, I&rsquo;m sure the crowds will be crazy.Q: Can you get to the level again that took you to world record performances? A: I can definitely get to that level again. I think the more I run, the better I&rsquo;ll feel. The more races I get, I know I&rsquo;ll get better. For me, I&rsquo;m not worried about this season. I know I&rsquo;ve got three or four months to go before the championships, I&rsquo;m always focused on championships and never worried about one-off runs as those are stepping stones to the big goal. I&rsquo;m just going to try to get through the season injury free, I&rsquo;m just going to take my time and work my way to the goal and I&rsquo;ll be alright.<h3>Chris Brown (BAH)</h3>Q: What was the legacy that was left in The Bahamas after last year&rsquo;s IAAF World Relays?A: Last year, we lost to the US at home so this year we are definitely looking to win. The Bahamian public was amazed by what they saw, the event was a success so we hope to be able to host more events like this.Q: It&rsquo;s no secret that you are closer to 40 than 30, so can we expect you still to be going strong next year with the Olympics in Rio coming up?A: That&rsquo;s a good question! In The Bahamas we have a saying that age ain&rsquo;t nothing but a number. I&rsquo;m just taking it day by day but I&rsquo;m looking forward to next year, however I&rsquo;ll just take my time this year and see how it plays out.<h3>Richard Kilty (GBR)</h3>Q: Your success indoors, having won the world and European 60m title, must have raised your expectations.A: It&rsquo;s been a pretty successful two years, I&rsquo;ve made a big breakthrough over 60m and in the relays but I&rsquo;ve now linked up with Linford Christie and we are looking at trying to have some success outdoors over 100m and 200m, that&rsquo;s the main focus for me now.Q: How do you rate Britain&rsquo;s prospects in the 4x100m here against the USA and the Caribbean countries?A: Last year we ran sub-38 seconds twice and if we can run that sort of a time here then we can definitely push for a podium finish. The Jamaicans and Americans have got really strong teams but we are still pretty confident that we can go out there and get a podium finish again (Great Britain finished third in last year&rsquo;s IAAF World Relays 4x100m).Q: The top eight 4x100m teams from here qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and we remember Great Britain winning the 2004 Olympic gold medal; can you repeat that success in Rio?A: If we put out our strongest team, I think we can get up there and challenge. We have some of the guys from 2004 working with us and they are always telling us things that can help.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Much of the attention at the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015 this weekend (2-3) will be on the Jamaican superstar sprinter Usain Bolt, and the reigning world and Olympic 100m and 200m champion was joined by The Bahamas’s Chris Brown and Great Britain’s Richard Kilty at the traditional pre-event press conference on Friday (1).

Bolt, Brown and Kilty press conference – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

<a href="#FR">Fran&ccedil;ais</a>Speaking at the pre-event press conference ahead of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015, IAAF President Lamine Diack praised the hosts for making the event such a success in its first year.&ldquo;Last year we witnessed a wonderfully successful event, a colourful festival of athletics which was topped by three world records,&rdquo; said Diack.&ldquo;Success is a powerful magnet and we are therefore delighted this year that the world&rsquo;s fastest man Usain Bolt will be competing. &ldquo;He is joined by fellow world and Olympic champions Allyson Felix, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sanya Richards and LaShawn Merritt.&ldquo;In total, teams from more than 40 countries comprising more than 600 athletes will compete this year.&ldquo;The best relay squads in the world have been attracted by major incentives: &ldquo;There is US$1.4million in prize money on offer across the 10 relay events, including US$50,000 for each victory.&ldquo;There is additionally a US$50,000 world record bonus.&ldquo;The top eight teams in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m and 4x400m will also automatically qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics.&ldquo;The creation of the IAAF World Relays is the latest example of athletics&rsquo; continual evolution as a sport. The IAAF is especially pleased that this exciting new competition has found a natural home in The Bahamas, a nation with a rich and successful history in the relays. <div class="quote">&ldquo;Bahamians have enthusiastically taken the World Relays to their hearts. We are therefore delighted that The Bahamas will also be the hosts for the next edition which takes place in two years&rsquo; time in 2017," added Diack. </div>&ldquo;The organisation of the IAAF World Relays is a team effort. The IAAF would like to thank the local organising committee, the government of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Association of Athletics Associations, official IAAF partners and suppliers, and national partners and suppliers, for their support.&ldquo;We also send our special thanks to all the volunteers, without whom this event could not take place.&rdquo;IAAF<hr /><a name="FR"></a><h3>Lamine Diack: les Baham&eacute;ens ont v&eacute;ritablement adopt&eacute; les Relais mondiaux IAAF/BTC, Bahamas 2015&nbsp; </h3> Lors d'une conf&eacute;rence de presse organis&eacute;e en amont des Relais mondiaux IAAF/BTC, Bahamas 2015, le pr&eacute;sident de l'IAAF, Lamine Diack, a tenu &agrave; f&eacute;liciter les h&ocirc;tes d'avoir fait de l'&eacute;preuve un tel succ&egrave;s. "L'an dernier nous avons connu une manifestation extraordinaire - une v&eacute;ritable f&ecirc;te de l'athl&eacute;tisme avec, en outre, trois records du monde, a dit Diack."Le succ&egrave;s constitue toujours un aimant puissant, et nous sommes ravis cette ann&eacute;e d'accueillir parmi nous Usain Bolt, l'homme le plus rapide du monde."Il sera pr&eacute;sent en compagnie de ses homologues champions olympiques et du monde, Allyson Felix, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sanya Richards et LaShawn Merritt."Au total, ce sont des &eacute;quipes issues de plus de 40 nations, et plus de 600 athl&egrave;tes, qui fouleront la piste cette ann&eacute;e."Les meilleures &eacute;quipes de relais du monde sont attir&eacute;es ici par des incitations majeures, avec 1,4 million de dollars US en primes r&eacute;partis sur les dix &eacute;preuves de relais, dont 50 000 dollars pour chaque victoire. De plus, chaque nouveau record du monde est r&eacute;compens&eacute; par un bonus de 50 000 dollars."Les huit meilleures &eacute;quipes dans les &eacute;preuves des 4x100m et 4x400m, masculins et f&eacute;minins, seront de plus automatiquement qualifi&eacute;es pour les Jeux olympiques de Rio 2016."La cr&eacute;ation des Relais mondiaux de l'IAAF est l'illustration la plus r&eacute;cente de l'&eacute;volution perp&eacute;tuelle de l'athl&eacute;tisme. L'IAAF est sp&eacute;cialement heureuse que cette nouvelle comp&eacute;tition exaltante ait trouv&eacute;, ici aux Bahamas, un terreau id&eacute;al pour pleinement s'&eacute;panouir. Nous sommes en effet dans une nation riche d'une histoire longue et glorieuse en mati&egrave;re de relais."Les Baham&eacute;ens ont adopt&eacute; avec enthousiasme les Relais mondiaux IAAF/BTC, Bahamas 2015. Nous sommes de fait ravis que les Bahamas joueront &agrave; nouveau les h&ocirc;tes de la prochaine &eacute;dition, qui se d&eacute;roulera dans deux ans, en 2017, a ajout&eacute; le Pr&eacute;sident Diack, avant de conclure:"L'organisation des Relais mondiaux de l'IAAF est un effort collectif. L'IAAF tient &agrave; remercier pour leur soutien le comit&eacute; d'organisation local, le gouvernement des Bahamas, l'Association d'athl&eacute;tisme des Bahamas, les fournisseurs et partenaires officiels de l'IAAF et les fournisseurs et partenaires nationaux. "Nous voulons &eacute;galement remercier tout particuli&egrave;rement l'ensemble des b&eacute;n&eacute;voles, sans qui cette comp&eacute;tition ne pourrait avoir lieu." IAAF

Speaking at the pre-event press conference ahead of the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015, IAAF President Lamine Diack praised the hosts for making the event such a success in its first year.

WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS

USA successfully defend golden baton – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

Women’s 4x100m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

Men's 4x400m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

Men's 4x200m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015

Women’s 4x400m – IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015