Jamaican quartet after their men's 4x200m World record at the 2014 IAAF World Relays (© Getty Images)
There is just over a week to go before the IAAF/BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015, which will be held in Nassau on Saturday and Sunday 2-3 May.
More than 600 athletes from around the world will compete in five relay disciplines in the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium: 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and the distance medley relay for both men and women.
The star attraction will be, without doubt, the 100m and 200m world record holder Usain Bolt who has been entered as part of Jamaica’s 4x100m and 4x200m teams.
In the latter event, and with Bolt missing through injury, Jamaica set a world record of 1:18.63 at the inaugural IAAF World Relays at the same venue in 2014, one of three world records to fall in a memorable first edition of the latest addition to the roster of IAAF Competition.
The Jamaica team is expected to include Veronica Campbell-Brown in the 4x100m and 2013 World Athlete of the Year Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in the 4x200m.
In addition to outstanding teams from all over the Caribbean, there are a host of star names who will be making longer journeys to get to the event.
USA to defend Golden Baton
The USA took the Golden Baton last year for amassing the most points within the scoring system and has sent a strong contingent to try to defend this accolade.
The US squad includes 25 athletes who have won medals at global senior championships, including three of the four members of the world record women’s 4x100m team in Tianna Bartoletta, four-time Olympic gold medallists Allyson Felix and three-time Olympic medallist Carmelita Jeter.
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sanya Richards-Ross will team up with world indoor champion Francena McCorory and Olympic bronze medallist DeeDee Trotter in the women’s 4x400m. LaShawn Merritt is also entered in the men's 4x400m.
Two-time world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop will return to Nassau as the Kenyan team looks to replicate – or even better – their tally of three wins from the inaugural 2014 event.
Last year, Kenya won the men’s 4x800m, 4x1500m and women’s 4x1500m in the capital of The Bahamas, dominating both the men’s and women’s finals and setting world records in the longest event, which has this year been replaced by a distance medley relay but it’s sure that Kenya will be the favourite for this new event on the global stage.
Other star names have been entered include: Bahrain's Maryam Yusuf Jamal, Dominican Republic's Lugelin Santos, Great Britain's Richard Kilty, Japan's Yoshihide Kiryu, Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare, Poland's Adam Kszczot, Trinidad and Tobago's Lalonde Gordon and Michelle-Lee Ahye.
The IAAF World Relays is the biggest sporting event to be held in The Bahamas in 2015 and it will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m will automatically qualify for Rio.
In addition, the top eight teams in each event will be awarded prize money with the gold medallists taking home no less than USD $50,000.
In the event that a team breaks a world record in Nassau, an additional bonus of USD $50,000 will also be awarded.
The IAAF will be providing live results, news and event reports which will all be available here.
IAAF
