Bolt electrifies record crowd with sub-9 second anchor leg at Penn Relays
Posted Monday, 26 April, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - In perfect conditions and with a record crowd on hand, the big show in Philadelphia this weekend did not disappoint. Usain Bolt came out, in front 54,310 fans, and delivered a dramatic victory over Team USA Saturday as Americans won three of six races at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa.
Believe the hype - Nike Men's 4x100m relay
This was the big event, and the players in the drama delivered. So keyed up for this race was the Franklin Field crowd that the stands erupted into screams and cheers when Bolt did his first stride-out on the infield, more than an hour before his race.
USA Blue and Jamaica Gold, running in lanes 6 and 7 respectively, ran a virtual dead heat through three legs, in spite of a series of wobbly handoffs for the Americans. Running for USA Blue were double Olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix, World Indoor silver medalist Michael Rodgers and three-time Olympic medalist Shawn Crawford. Usain Bolt's club team of Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake and Marvin Anderson wore the Jamaica Gold bibs.
American Ivory Williams had the unenviable task of being in a footrace with the fastest human ever to walk planet Earth, and Bolt sped away to a Penn Relays record of 37.90, with USA Blue second in 38.33 and USA Red third in 38.50.
USA, JAM battle in Visa Women's 4x100
The Visa women's 4x100m relay was equally exciting. Team USA had a slight lead at the first handoff, whenLisa Barber gave the stick to Allyson Felix. Running the second leg against the Olympic and World Outdoor silver medalist Kerron Stewart, Felix kept USA Blue in the lead. Miki Barber also maintained the lead.
It looked like a shaky handoff to Carmelita Jeter on anchor, but the #2 all-time 100m runner out-ran Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser to get USA Blue to the line first in 42.74. Jamaica was second in 42.94. The USA Red team of Tiffany Ofili, Ginnie (Powell) Crawford, Rachelle Boone-Smith and Alex Anderson was third in 43.69.
USA Blue in Visa Men's 4x400
The men's 4x400 provided an uncharacteristically tight race. It was USA Red, the Bahamas, Jamaica and USA Blue at the break after the first exchange and a USA Blue leg by David Neville. Jamaal Torrance ran a great second leg (44.8) to move USA Blue up to second, making it Bahamas, USA Blue, Jamaica and USA Red after the second leg.
Bershawn "Batman" Jackson moved into the lead for USA Blue on turn 1, then Jamaica took it on the backstretch. But Batman employed his gutty kick and handed off to anchor Angelo Taylor in the lead by two strides, with Jamaica and Bahamas virtually tied for second and USA Red in fourth.
Taylor extended the lead and Kerron Clement ran a great leg as USA Blue won in 3:00.60, followed by Bahamas in 3:02.55 and USA Red in 3:02.64.
USA all the way in Nike Women's 4x400
As world champion Sanya Richards sat on the sidelines with a sore quadriceps, Jamaica had an opening in this race. But after Debbie Dunn's first leg, it was Team USA Blue by 10 meters, and that position never changed. Jamaica was sitting in second and USA Red third at the break.
Lashinda Demus had second leg duty and when she handed off it was USA Blue, Jamaica, USA Red, each about 5 meters apart. DeeDee Trotter extended the lead for USA Blue on the third leg, and Allyson Felix brought it home for the win in 3:26.12. Jamaica finished second in 3:27.72 and USA Red was third in 3:28.48.
Kenya takes Distance Medley squeaker
In one of the closest men's distance medley in the history of USA vs. The World, Kenya edged out USA Blue, 9:24.97 to 9:25.02. USA White was just behind them for third in 9:25.04.
Kenya had the early lead, as Alex Kipchirchir came through the 1,200m in 2:52.82, while Nick Symmonds ran 2:53.03 for Team USA Blue. Jordan Boase took the lead for USA Blue on second leg, coming through the quarter in 45.40.
With legs one and two run by Will Leer and Kenneth Ferguson, Duane Solomon got USA White back into the race on the 800m leg, splitting 1:44.28, as Alfred Kirwa Yego moved Kenya back into the lead and Jacob Hernandez (USA Blue) went into second, with USA White in third. That would be the final finish order, as David Torrance ran out of room, and neither he, nor Leo Manzaon of USA White, could not catch Kenya's Josephat Kithii.
Jamaica wins Sprint Medley forthird straight year
This race has historically come down to USA and Jamaica, and 2010 was no different. After the first two 200m legs, Schillonie Calvert and Kerron Stewart had Jamaica in first while Natasha Hastings and Dee Dee Trotter had USA Blue second. World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker broke open a huge lead for Jamaica on the 400m leg, over Olympic silver medalist Sheena Tosta, but Walker tied up in the last stages of the leg, and Tosta handed off to 2010 World Indoor 800m bronze medalist Alysia Johnson in first.
Johnson began the 800m anchor with Kenia Sinclair on her shoulder, but Sinclair, who anchored Jamaica to a world record at the 2009 USA vs. The World, took over the lead with a lap to go. Thanks to a split time of 1:57.48, Sinclair and her teammates won easily in 3:35.37, with USA Blue second in 3:38.53 and USA Red third in 3:39.55.
For more information and complete results from the 2010 USA vs. The World and the 2010 Visa Championship Series visit www.visachampionshipseries.com.
