This year’s Men’s 4x100m relay has some unusual circumstances, especially for Jamaica where the top 200m sprinters are part of the relay pool.
Take a look at the schedule for the final 3 days (yes, it means Bolt will have 4 days off between the 100m and 200m):
- Day 7: 2 rounds of 200m, 9 hours apart
- Day 8: 200m Final
- Day 9: 2 rounds 4x100m, 2 hours apart
That’s right, relays are on a single day. Looking at Jamaica, you have the top four finishers at Jamaica’s trials, which make them automatic to the relay pool.
- Usain Bolt
- Kemar Bailey-Cole
- Nickel Ashmeade
- Nesta Carter
Then you don’t have:
- Asafa Powell
- Yohan Blake (injured)
- Michael Frater (injured)
And you have to consider:
- Warren Weir
- Jason Livermore (5th at trials)
- Oshane Bailey (6th at trials)
Assuming Usain Bolt and Warren Weir make the 200m finals, do you dare to rest them for one round of the 4x00m?
We know Warren Weir (Bolt’s teammate from the Racers Track Club) runs a great turn, as well as Nickel Ashmeade. These two guys will fight to get the 3rd leg, usually reserved for dependable Yohan Blake.
With only 2 hours between relay heats, why not use the same team, and any adjustments with your markers can be easily made?
So there is a chance Jamaica will use 6 runners for the relay, switching the last 2 legs to rest up the possible “200m medal winners”.
The final team will probably comprise of, in order, Nesta Carter lead-off and Kemar Bailey-Cole backstretch. I think Glen Mills will choose his athlete, Warren Weir to run 3rd, since he is the faster athlete over 200m. (But it’s who runs the best leg, with the best baton speed through the zones, right?)
And of course, Bolt will anchor the relay, win the gold for Jamaica, and close the show, just like he did in London.
Twice.
Jimson Lee
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Great post! I think you are right about the Jamaican lineup. I also believe the US has a better chance of beating Jamaica this year in the 4×100 than they had at the Olympics last summer. I think the US team will be better rested than Jamaica with both Justin Gatlin and Mike Rogers not having to compete in the 200m. I don’t know which leg Gatlin is slated to run, but if he is moved to anchor and the US team can get him the baton with any kind of a lead then I’m not sure Bolt will be rested or fit enough to catch Gatlin…then again Bolt has been know to do the impossible so it’s probably a bad idea to bet against Jamaica.