PHILADELPHIA, United States (CMC) –
In front of a capacity crowd at Franklin Field Stadium, World and Olympic triple gold medallist Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica’s gold team to an impressive, record-breaking victory at the 116th Penn Relays yesterday.
Bolt, preparing to launch his 2010 pro season, ran the final leg in a stunning 8.79 seconds, .09 secs outside of Asafa Powell’s world record anchor leg of 8.70.
Mario Forsythe handed off to Yohan Blake with Marvin Anderson passing off to Bolt as the team clocked 37.90 seconds in the USA v The World men’s 4x100m relay.
The time was a new Penn Relays record, beating the 37.92 set by the Americans in 2009.
“I told the guys to make sure I didn’t have to work, because I really didn’t want to do much,” said the World and Olympic record holder in the 100 and 200 metres.
“I got the baton pretty much in front, so I wasn’t really worried about anything else.”
USA Blue with Walter Dix, Mike Rodgers, Shawn Crawford and Ivory Williams finished second in 38.33 while USA Red with Ryan Bailey, Travis Padgett, Doc Patton and Rae Edwards were third in 38.50.
Jamaica’s Black team, with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Xavier Brown and Dwight Thomas, ran 38.72 for third.
Earlier, Jamaica’s women were second in 42.94 to the USA Blue team, who won in 42.74. Simone Facey, Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson and Shelly-Ann Fraser comprised the Jamaica quartet.
Jamaica’s other win on the day came in the women’s medley relay with the team of Schillonie Calvert, Kerron Stewart, Melaine Walker and Kerron Stewart taking victory in three minutes 35.37.
In the 4x400m, Jamaica’s women and Bahamas’ men took silver in the respective events.
The Bahamas team of Nathaniel McKinney, Andre Williams, Ramon Miller and Chris Brown came second in 3:02.55 behind USA Blue (3:00.60) and ahead of USA Red (3:02.62). Jamaica were fourth in 3:03.40.
Jamaica’s women’s team of Rosemarie Whyte, Novlene Williams, Kaliese Spencer and Shericka Williams ran 3:27.72 to finish second behind USA Blue (3:26.12), who were led off by Jamaica-born Debbie Dunn, the World Indoor champion.
In the high school relays, Wolmer’s boys of Jamaica dominated, winning the 4x400m in 3:14.59 while Vere Technical (3:14.97) finished second. Queen’s Royal College of Trinidad and Tobago, with World Championships 400m hurdles fourth place finisher Jehue Gordon, were fourth in 3:16.63.
Wolmer’s had earlier won the 4x100m in a Jamaican high school record 39.78 ahead of Vere (40.61), St George’s College (40.97) and Calabar (41.01), all from Jamaica.
Kamal Fuller, also of Wolmer’s, won the boys’ long jump with a leap of 7.57 metres.