The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The inaugural IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2014 will feature some of the world’s top icons in athletics but the biggest headliner in the sport and the world’s fastest man will not be one of them.

According to the Jamaica Observer, Usain Bolt was not selected by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association for the two-day meet in the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium as he continues to recover from a foot injury which has limited him all season.

The 27-year-old world record holder in the 100m and 200m is set to run for the first time all season in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 17.

The strong Jamaican team will still include sprint headliners Yohan Blake and Shelly Ann-Fraser Pryce as the country contests the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400m in the men’s division and the 4x100, 4x200m, 4x400m and the 4x800m in the women’s division.

USA Track and Field announced their 55-member team for the event on Tuesday. The team will not feature current Olympic bronze medallists Justin Gatlin, Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix or Olympic 100m silver medallist Carmelita Jeter.

The US team will be headlined by LaShawn Merritt, Walter Dix and Sanya Richards-Ross.

The Bahamas named a 38-member pool last Thursday. However, just nine days ahead of the world-class meet, the final list has yet to be released.

The Bahamas will have a few glaring omissions of its own, most notably national 100m record holder Derrick Atkins.

BAAA president Mike Sands and National Relays head Coach Rupert Gardiner were quoted in the Nassau Guardian, accusing Atkins of not cooperating and responding to attempts by the BAAAs to contact him.

Atkins responded through social media Facebook. “A Slap in the face “ REALLY REALLY!!!! Y’all have the nerve to call me out in the papers saying I haven’t responded to your failed attempt to reach me. Y’all knew about this for years that we will be hosting the games. Instead of keeping in touch with athletes during this time, there wasn’t one email sent out until a week to go of the event,” he said. “Just typical way that you guys do business all the time and then blame the athletes for not responding the minute you send an email. I guess that is just the way it is and will always be. Good luck to my team Bahamas. Let’s go out and show the world that even though we are small we are still mighty.”

Approximately 800 athletes from 48 member federations are expected to compete at the inaugural edition of the event at the new stadium May 24-25.

Events to be contested include the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and 4x1500m.

The top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m will automatically qualify for the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

In addition, the top eight teams in each event will be awarded prize money with the gold medallists taking home no less than $50,000. 

In the event that a team breaks a world record in Nassau, an additional bonus of $50,000 will be awarded.